Altershifted Drabbles
by TheShock
Summary: "Hello there, it's Shamir! While my tale was quite the sorry one, it also had its' joyous moments of laughter, love and hope. Please, do enjoy these little drabbles that might, or might not, provide a little insight on me...and the other inhabitants of my universe." [Drabbles focusing on the ideas that never made it in the original fic.][COMPLETE]
1. Secrets Revealed

**Hello there, fellow readers!**

 **This particular story is not exactly a story...it's more like, certain snippets of Altershift's life that I haven't explored fully.  
**

 **They're basically, ideas that I've had in mind to put there - but if I'm honest, they look so much better in a separate story.**

 **Plus, I love being a little random sometimes...**

 **I totally recommend reading _Altershift_ first, so you'd understand better the AU I've designed.  
**

 **It will contain Salphys. Lots of Salphys, but with a bit of the other characters as well.**

 **As well as feels, fluff and angst.**

 **Shamir: And here I thought you'd abandon my story.**

 **Me: You're still a fluffy, doofy cat~**

 **Shamir: Fine, okay, I know...**

 **Me: Let's roll.**

 **Commence...First Drabble!**

* * *

 **SECRETS REVEALED  
 _\- Prologue -_  
**

 _It was a typical morning in the skeleton brothers' house..._

Sans was still napping away, while Papyrus made breakfast for himself and his **still a lazybones** brother, the scent of well-done sandwiches filling the kitchen and could tickle the nose of any hungry monster. The tall skeleton was pretty pleased by the result as he tried following the recipes from Queen Toriel to the letter, as she was recognized as one of the best monsters in the art of cooking while he was nothing but a willful learner - and he couldn't help thinking of how to knock some sense of reality into his brother to learn **anything.**

 _"IF MY LAZYBONES BROTHER WOULD EVEN TRY... HE WOULD ACTUALLY BE EXTREMELY GOOD AT SOMETHING! SOMETHING ELSE EXCEPT **NAPPING** THE DAY AWAY." _ Papyrus couldn't help thinking as he set the table for breakfast while rolling his eyes in disbelief, and went off to wake up his snoring brother. The small skeleton scientist was covered by a pink blanket and looked extremely happy, by the way his grin was going from one end to the other of his skull - it was a rare sight, as Sans was usually depressed - making his brother wonder at whatever made him look like that.

"SANS." Papyrus said as he prodded his brother's bony legs.

"...stay some more, darlin'. i didn't _heat up_ just yet." the skeleton murmured in his sleep.

 _SIGH...PLEASE DON'T TELL ME HE **ACTUALLY** MAKES PUNS WHEN SLEEPING, TOO! _ Papyrus mentally deadpanned as he saw that prodding didn't work on waking up his brother - and he tried something else instead.

 **"SANS, YOU BOONDOGGLING LAZYBONES! GET THE HECK UP ALREADY!"**

Sans's eyes flew open at the sudden noise, as he looked at the frustrated skeleton before him, an embarassed grin gracing his expression. "eh? what is it, paps?"

"I MADE BREAKFAST, AND IT'S GETTING COLD! I SUGGEST YOU HURRY UP."

"sorry, i'll get up, don't need to be mad, cause _icy you._ "

"...UGH, YOU **HAD** TO MAKE THAT PUN, DIDN'T YOU." Papyrus huffed, as his arms were folded.

"uh, i can't stop, ya know. they're part of my _charm_."

"YOU WILL BE THE BANE OF THE UNDERGROUND WITH YOUR PUNS."

After a long lesson of ethics between huffs and sneers, the two skeleton brothers were sitting at the table, nibbling on their sandwiches and tea while eyeing each other for some while. Sans was quite _hasty_ to finish his meal, and his brother couldn't help sneer a little towards him - Papyrus was usually slower when eating stuff, thanks to Frisk, who managed to teach him about _savouring_ food - and the small scientist found the silence too...disconcerting, to say the least.

 _"maybe talking about somethin' might cut this silence deep."_ he thought as he was thinking of a good subject to talk about.

"so, whaddya think about undyne?"

"UNDYNE? SHE'S LIKE SHAMIR'S DAUGHTER AND SHE LOOKS PRETTY PROUD ABOUT THAT. ALPHYS TOO. WHY DO YOU ASK?"

"i was asking cause i caught you looking at her sometimes." Sans said as his eyes closed.

"I...SHE REMINDS ME OF SOMEONE..." the tall skeleton said as he fiddled with his hands, "I...I NEVER GOT THE CHANCE TO ASK YOU SOMETHING. WHAT HAPPENED TO..." and then paused for a moment, as his skull was showing signs of sweat. "... **HER.** "

"huh? why bring this up? something's _steaming_ in your head?" the small scientist said as he tried to shift the subject.

"I SWEAR, SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T STOP." the dazzling skeleton huffed in annoyance. "AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I WAS THINKING OF THIS BECAUSE I STARTED SEEING YOU WITH ALPHYS. JUST WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU HIDING, BROTHER?"

"me? psh, since when i'm hiding something?"

"DON'T DENY THAT, I SAW YOU-"

"no need to _press my button_ on that matter."

"COULD YOU JUST BE SERIOUS FOR ONE MOMENT? IS SHAMIR AWARE OF THIS GOING ON?"

"we're still friends, and i'm starting to wonder why are you so interested in _this_."

"SANS, I AM ASKING THIS FOR YOUR OWN GOOD. IF SHAMIR IS OBLIVIOUS TO THIS, HE WILL NOT HESITATE TO CUT YOUR HEAD OFF." Papyrus deadpanned.

"uh...fine. this is about to be real serious," Sans's grin completely disappeared as he shifted in his chair, unsure just how to start.

 _it's been a long, long dead time i've been thinking about this...and i've never told pap because i know - i just know - he will be **extremely** furious, while shamir's rage is really bearable..._ the small skeleton was racking his head desperately for a good way to explain what he did to Patricia. How could he tell his brother that the girl he loved was actually a genocidal maniac, that didn't care about him in the slightest? That he was sorely toyed around while Sans was watching everything, hopelessly?

"I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY, BROTHER. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOU?" Papyrus said as he shifted a little closer to the table, eyeing his brother.

"paps..." Sans began with a long sigh, "do you really want to know what happened to your girlfriend?"

"OF COURSE I DO! DID SHE REACH THE SURFACE, AS YOU PROMISED ME?"

"...no." Sans deadpanned, as his gaze shifted to the door, hoping someone would cut off this rather unpleasant talk.

"WHAT?! WHY NOT?!" Papyrus said, silent anger entering his eyesockets as he stared at the skeleton before him.

 _please...i'd give anything for someone to interrupt this hellish morning already,_ Sans was mentally pleading to whatever deity above that maybe Undyne, Alphys or Shamir would have some business for him and his brother. He was clearly seeing the direction this would be going, the very moment his secret would be out - and not even his best pal would defend him from Papyrus' rage.

"...because i..." the small skeleton hesitated a moment, "...because i killed her."

Papyrus' jaw dropped open in shock, his pinpricks completely gone the moment Sans uttered the last three words, and the horrific stare of his brother was doubled by the fact that Papyrus engulfed his brother in blue magic, pressuring the latter with thousands of atmospheres. Sans was a telekinesis master, but he was at the mercy of his brother - because Papyrus' telekinesis was strongly influenced by his emotions - and the feeling that was coursing through the tall skeleton was raw **fury** and **disbelief** , and there was no way of resisting such fury, even Sans knew it as his bones were starting to crack.

"YOU..."

"pl-please...pap...i..."

"I NEVER THOUGHT **MY OWN BROTHER** COULD DO THIS!" Papyrus said in his fury, as he tossed Sans around.

"i...i had to, she was-"

"SHUT UP, **SHUT THE HELL UP!** " the tall skeleton said as he smacked Sans with all of his strength against the kitchen's wall, making a hole through it.

 **[Meanwhile...]**

"Alphys, are you okay?" Shamir tilted his head as he looked at the small lizard, the latter fiddling with her claws.

"Dad...I don't know how to say this, but..." she began in a cracking voice, trying to avoid the jaguar's azure eyes.

"Whatever is the matter, you can tell me. I told Undyne that too." he said as his gaze softened a little. "I know, I don't always act like a good father to you two - but, I'm really, really trying to be by your side." the jaguar sighed as he placed one of his large paws over the shaking claws of his adoptive daughter.

"We know, Dad." she said as she looked again in his eyes, beaming a little smile. "It's just...I've started seeing someone."

"Oh?" Shamir's eyes widened at her reply, his paw still over Alphys' little claws. "And who's the lucky monster?"

"I-" Alphys was about to say, but he interrupted her by muttering a low shush. "Wait, I can sense something in the wind..."

"Wh-what is it?" she asked, putting aside her confession, while Shamir replied dryly, "Something bad is going on."

 _I hope Sans is okay..._ Alphys was musing as her concerned father was looking in the distance, somewhat worried about whatever was going on.

* * *

 **Sans: why?**

 **Me: Sorry, but you kinda deserve it.**

 **Sans: ...**

 **Shamir: What's going on, Shock?**

 **Me: ...Nothing.**

 **See ya until the next snippet.**


	2. When Confusion Takes Over

**Me: Well, this came out slowly.**

 **Shamir: I'm not concerned about that.**

 **Me: Yeah, I know.**

* * *

 **WHEN CONFUSION TAKES OVER  
**

The wind kept shifting, and Shamir certainly felt quite nervous at the thought something was not right - and while he wasn't the type to worry, whatever was _this_ didn't want to leave him alone. He exhaled in exasperation as he rose from the small wooden bench he and Alphys were sitting on, asking the latter to stay where she was, and unsheathed one of his swords.

 _"It better not be a fight I have to break..."_ the jaguar mused as he went towards the River Person's station, and hopped on the large wooden boat with a worried expression.

"Tra la la. Where do you want to go today, Captain?"

"Snowdin. Fast. I have no time to lose!" Shamir snapped a little under the pressure.

"Very well." River Person said quietly as they commandeered the boat, which had a cat's head on it.

He looked at his reflection in the river, as small waves were forming, and he could notice the fatigue and worry in his eyes, _"Why do I feel strange when I look at myself? As if...somethihg troubles me, and I'm not quite aware of it."_ and then he looked at the hooded figure that steered the small boat for a moment, before closing his eyes to listen to the echoing sounds of the flowing river. _"Maybe I remember when..."_

"Tra la la," River Person's voice broke through his meditation, "are you still scared?" while they shot a glare towards the large feline.

"Perhaps," Shamir said with a quiet voice as his eyes were still closed, "you're quite strange."

"Approaching Snowdin." the hooded monster said as the Waterfall's large tunnel was now left behind for the snowy shores and the dense forest of fir trees, their tops covered in the same snow.

While Shamir wasn't a huge fan of snow, or water, he knew that he had a duty.

 _"And I have to follow through it, whether I like it or not. Ratoveros taught me a lot of things...but sometimes, I doubt these teachings. I regret not spending much more time with my parents...perhaps they would still love to teach me something new."_ the jaguar thought as the boat came to a halt and sighed heavily, his hind paws making contact with the soft, cold snow.

"Thank you." he replied with his head turned partially towards River Person.

"Anytime, tra la la!" the strange monster said, not before placing a claw on him. "And do not fear me anymore. We are now on the same side."

 _"For how long, though?"_ a stray thought made its' way in the jaguar's mind as he was somewhat stiff under the touch, but nonetheless, he choked a reply.

"I do hope so. Now, I have a duty to perform, if you'll excuse me."

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

"please...paps...i know, you're pissed at me." Sans said as Papyrus held him in his magic, pinned to a nearby fir tree.

"NOT ANOTHER WORD, BROTHER!" the tall skeleton replied as his eyesockets were hollow, forcing Sans to look away. "SO THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HIDING, EH?!"

"i didn't mean to! she-" Sans tried to explain himself, only to find that Papyrus was tightening his grasp.

"SHE WHAT? SHE WAS A GENTLE SOUL, SHE COULDN'T HAVE-" his brother yelled as he threw his brother in another tree.

Sans hit the tree in full force, making the snow on the treetop fell and covered him a _s_ he laid still, prepairing a surprise attack, seeing that his brother failed to listen to what _**he**_ had to say - while Papyrus was half-torn seeing this happen, - and thought that maybe going on his brother like that wasn't the best idea. _"STILL, I CANNOT LET HIM GO UNPUNISHED FOR THIS."_

He huffed in annoyance as he started taking out the snow covering - what he thought to be an unconscious skeleton, - only to discover there was nothing there. _"WHERE IS-"_

"sorry, paps. but it looks like you won't listen to me." Sans' face darkened as he summoned a plethora of bones towards his brother.

Papyrus deflected the array of bones with a shield of his own, and countered back with a lot of sharpened bones, his eyesockets fixed on his brother, disbelief running through his soul. Sans avoided those by warping further, but these bones of Papyrus were special - they were honing on him, somehow - and knew he was for a _warping_ time. He deflected them with two waves of blue magic bones, while others made their way towards him, grazing his blue lab coat and leaving cut marks, but Papyrus wasn't going to back down - he summoned larger bones that were sharper on the end, and threw them against Sans.

"I'M SORRY TOO, BROTHER...BUT YOU WON'T BE GOING _**UNPUNISHED**_!"

* * *

Shamir was running through Snowdin, leaving pawprints behind, while the wind still rustled his robes and his eyes looked to the left and right - monsters looked in curiosity as the large feline went down their small town, and he could hear them whispering low.

"Look at _him_ , descending among the plebs." one monster made a snide comment to another.

"He's just like that bastard, Ratoveros," another pair of monsters scoffed as they shot irritated glares towards the feline.

 _"Why is everybody sneering?"_ Shamir thought as he could feel some sweat beading on his forehead, while monsters were still whispering, _"I thought everyone was proud of me...why are they so disappointed with me? Am I no longer the hero they could look up to?"_ the questions started to ravage in his mind until he bumped into someone.

Gerson, the Hammer of Justice.

"Look where ya' walk, you moron." the old turtle huffed in annoyance as he recognized who was standing before him.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I have a duty to follow." the jaguar said as he scratched the back of his head, feeling quite uncomfortable.

"You're a mockery of the Dreemurr name." Gerson said to him as he eyed the jaguar. "You're _no_ Dreemurr. youngin. A Dreemurr wouldn't be like that."

"I- Don't dare say I am no Dreemurr!" Shamir growled, anger written all over his face. "I hold great respect for you. If you weren't a legendary hero-"

"Ptooey. You're no match for my old bones, cat." the turtle said as he looked away and carried on, almost content he spat on this so-called-hero.

 _"I-I am a Dreemurr, I-I have...been raised...how dare he..."_ he thought as a low snarl escaped his snout, and went to figure out what happened.

What he saw shocked him worse than the insult Gerson brought upon him.

A fight that went on with sheer ferocity, as if they were _unforgiving_ to one another.

 _"This thing has to stop. Like...right **now.** "_ he could only thing as he rushed towards the two and roared in the chilly air.

" **CIRCLE OF WIND!** "

A wind-like barrier placed itself between the two skeleton brothers, until the jaguar was within hearing distance, and Sans looked somewhat _grateful_ that his friend came in the nick of time to save his bones, and perhaps make him avoid _killing_ his brother. Papyrus however, was somewhat _displeased_ the large feline came to break the fight - he didn't have his answers yet!

"thank the gods above you're here, shamir." Sans could utter as the jaguar kept his saber at bay, and folded his arms.

"Care to explain what the _**hell**_ was going on in here?" he asked in a guttural voice, eyes affixed on the scientist skeleton.

"i-...i told him about patricia." the small skeleton's face darkened a bit as he shuffled his hands in the lab coat's pockets.

"AND I TOLD HIM HE'S WRONG!" Papyrus jabbed in as his anger didn't diminish in the slightest, a bone manifested itself next to the tall skeleton.

"No. He's not, actually, Papyrus," the jaguar sighed as he knew Sans didn't have time to explain. "Sans. Take us to the Royal Guard's HQ."

"why?"

"You two have a _**lot**_ to talk about, and it's obvious I want you two under some supervision," Shamir huffed in annoyance, "you two looked like two babies fighting over a toy."

* * *

 **Meanwhile, in New Home...  
**

Asgore tended to the flowers, as usual, and he heard from a certain Monster Kid that Gerson had the guts to spit on his beloved son, and he couldn't understand **why.** What went wrong with Shamir, if even their old friend was displeased with him? His mind was rolling on this question, that he toppled a little more water to the flowers, dropping the can clumsily, while Toriel was also worried about this.

 _"Whatever happened, I doubt that Shamir has forgotten what I taught him...What we showed him..."_ the motherly monster thought as she gently looked after a Snail Pie she made for herself. While she revered the old turtle as much as Asgore did - after all, he saved their furs in the Human-Monster War, - there was something about this that reminded her of how much hate monsterkind used to have for humans.

 _"I remember when he was a small jaguar cub, ready to pounce on whoever took his toys. Or when people called him 'fake Dreemurr', despite our reassurance that he is part of our family, no matter when he will learn to tap into his fire. The fire of fiercely protecting the ones you care about, the fire which sets ablaze the courage within..."  
_ she sighed as a few tears escaped her eyes. _"Wish Asriel was here, he could've-"_

"Tori?" Asgore's baritonal voice interrupted her inner musings, "Why are you crying, dearest?"

"Gorey...we've lost him." Toriel could muster through the tears, while the king held her gently in his arms.

"Are you talking about Shamir?" his voice retorted, gravely.

"He's...confused, misguided...I...We..."

"He'll be back to us. He _is_ , after all..." Asgore said, eyes glinting with pride.

"...A Dreemurr." Toriel nodded softly as she finished his phrase.


	3. To Sort the Truth from the Lies

**Me: Oh wow, I beat the precedent chapter in length, a little?  
**

 **Shamir: You've been inspired, eh?**

 **Me: Yup, and I like it!**

 **Shamir: Your readers would be happy.**

 **Me: I hope so...**

 **Let's get this rollin'!**

* * *

 **TO SORT THE TRUTH FROM THE LIES**

 **[Waterfall]**

The river's gentle flowing echoed in the large cave, putting Shamir's mind somewhat at ease - while he wasn't a huge fan of water, the sound of it seemed to work wonders on his nerves, - yet he had to postpone any serene thoughts for the moment, mainly because the two skeleton brothers were fighting over _ancient_ history.  
And he was also displeased that Sans didn't go lightly on his brother, aware that the latter had some amount of feelings towards the human girl. He left out a heavy sigh, he didn't know very much about _that kind_ of love - he only knew how to be a father, in some ways, - but what Gerson told him still rang in his head.

 _"A Dreemurr wouldn't do this."_

 _"Whatever I did, that even **he** thinks ill of me?" _ a stray thought wandered through his mind, as his azure eyes set first on Sans, and then shifted towards Papyrus, while Alphys looked at the rather strange view before her. She was almost sure that her step-father must've found out about her love for Sans, and hung her head low in shame, while small skeleton did cast a somewhat worried glance towards his reptilian lover. Sans was pretty much aware that he will soon be _crossing_ Shamir's fury in regards to this - though right now, Shamir was mad at him for a completely different reason.

"Okay. I want you two to settle this _peacefully_ ," the jaguar shot a glare towards the two, with Papyrus looking in disbelief at Sans, arms folded, while Sans shifted his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. " 'cause if you don't...I'll be forced to settle this in the warrior's way."

"HE DARED TO DO THAT, HOW CAN YOU JUST-" Papyrus huffed, while Shamir lifted a paw.

"I suggest you approach this with calm..." the jaguar paused in order to tone down the rising anger within him, "this day is slowly going to hell, and I certainly don't want more of it."

"ya okay, buddy?" Sans asked Shamir, sensing the turmoil within him, while peeking towards Alphys as well.

"...No." Shamir replied curtly, as he lazily waved a paw, "It doesn't matter, right now."

"Dad?" Alphys's voice rang from behind, as the small lizard rose from the bench, approaching the large jaguar. "I wanted to tell you something."

"I'm listening, Alphys." Shamir replied as he turned towards her, placing both paws on her shoulders.

The small lizard exhaled, as if to recollect her mind, and expect a strange reaction from her father, "I'm in love..." she said as her face darkened, "...with Sans. Please, don't be mad at me for...for hiding this." Alphys added as she retreated a few steps back from the gentle paws of her step-father, while Shamir's jaw dropped as his widened eyes stared at his adoptive daughter. He found himself unable to say anything, as if all the anger and disbelief pent up in him was _gone,_ but what he failed to notice was that Papyrus had the exact same expression, while Ribras and Rasha looked at the whole scene from behind, sweat dripping from their foreheads a little.

One thing was certain, what they expected to be a scolding lesson turned into a rather amusing situation.

"You and Sans...?" was all that Shamir could utter, breaking the dead silence between them. "I..."

"You'll punish me, right?" Alphys said as she looked away, a few tears forming in her eyes.

 _"A Dreemurr wouldn't do this."_

"No." the jaguar's reply came as a surprise to himself, but also to Sans, Alphys and the two lions looking at the whole scene.

 _"I should be mad! How can she date my friend? Who's literally a little older than-"_ he paused as he looked at Sans and Alphys, who were now holding their hands/claws. _"Shamir, are you an idiot? She can decide for herself!"_ Shamir chided himself for his stupid thought, and looked away in shame for the fact that Alphys, his dear Alphys, thought that _he_ would punish her for loving someone.

Yes, it would look a little odd in his eyes, but should he really stand in the way of her dreams?

 _"A Dreemurr wouldn't do this."_

"Why would I be doing that, Alphys? You two look happy together, so...don't worry about folks that say stuff about you two." the jaguar added softly as he looked at them, a glint of shame in his eyes. "I'll beat them if they say anything bad about you."

"Dad, please," Alphys laughed a little at the protectiveness of her adoptive father, "we're going to be fine."

"shamir, ya' still want to settle the dispute between me and my brobones?" Sans said as he shot a glare towards the dazzling skeleton, who looked at the whole scene, huffing in annoyance.

"Yes. You two were fighting blindly," Shamir said as he shook his head, "and it's my job to make sure you don't kill one another."

"job, eh?" the small skeleton said, "most monsters aren't quite pleased with _what_ you do. but you're my buddy, and i know they don't tell the truth..." Sans paused, "...right, pal?"

 _"A Dreemurr wouldn't do this."_

"Gerson is quite convinced of the opposite," the jaguar said as he sat on the bench, "he certainly **dislikes** me."

"maybe it's about time you _chill_ out from this job of yours." Sans said as his gaze shifted from the still confused jaguar to his lover,Alphys, "besides...you'll soon be under another job. _being there for your daughter_ , when king asgore officiates the whole deal with us. right, alphy?"

"Yeah," she smiled as a small blush formed on her face, "I can't wait to tell Undyne about this!" she added, squealing excitedly.

"So," Shamir said as he looked towards the happy couple, and then stopped his gaze on Papyrus, "are you willing to set aside that fury of yours, Papyrus?"

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?..." the tall skeleton finally spoke as his eyes looked back to the jaguar. "WHY DID MY BROTHER HAVE TO..." Papyrus paused, "...TO KILL HER?"

The jaguar's eyes glinted with recollection, as he was reminded, with the last words Papyrus uttered, of how he had to fight against someone _unwillingly,_ mainly because that someone was a threat to the Underground. _"I still don't understand how was that possible..."_ he mused as he saw the child before him. The girl seemed innocent and harmless, yet, the duty _had_ to be served, had to be done...and Ratoveros' sheer voice while commanding his younger self resounded within his mind. _"Are you dumb, Shamir? You want to jeopardize the whole mission? You're weak! Vulnerable! I see no pride within you."_ the panther was roaring at him during one of his covert missions, _"Look where pride took me! I am adored by everyone, they say only good words about me!"_

Pride.

It felt strange to see Ratoveros' actions in a different light, as he was _hissed_ and _scoffed_ _at_ by most monsters... _"What kind of a Royal Guard Captain am I?"  
_

 _"A Dreemurr wouldn't do this."_

"SHAMIR? FRIEND? YOU IN HERE WITH US?" Papyrus waved a bony hand in front of him, as the jaguar blinked slowly in recognition.

"Yes..." Shamir replied, in hesitation. "I remembered a few things..."

"OH. I THOUGHT YOU'D NOT SAY A WORD ABOUT MY QUESTION." the Underground's Star looked puzzled as the jaguar shook his head in disbelief.

"Want the longer or the shorter version of the story, Papyrus?"

Meanwhile, Sans and Alphys looked like they were _planning_ something, as if love was blossoming in the somewhat chilly air of Waterfall - the small lizard couldn't help blushing as Sans kept grinning towards her, cracking his usual bad puns - and then she lent to whisper something to him. "I'd rather we go away from here, for a while..." Alphys said to him in a lustful tone, and Sans gulped a little as she made her intentions clear.

 _"she's turning into a sexy beast...i'm in for love time."_ he thought as he enveloped them in a flash of light.

* * *

 **[Alphys' Bedroom]**

Sans gently grabbed her by her waist, their lips inches apart, and he couldn't help but stare into her beautiful eyes, while Alphys's face was crimson red, as they were so close to one another. He then kissed her fervently, as if willing more than ever to bring her desires to light, and she kissed back with the same desire, her claws holding him pinned to the spot, and soft moans could be heard from their somewhat heated exchange.

It was clear they were willing to raise the stakes in love, and Sans stopped to look at the curvaciousness of his lover, as if trying to embed her forms in his mind, to trail a distinct path with his bony fingers at a later time. She was also studying him, he was certainly a lot handsome when blushing blue all over from the sudden intimacy between them. _"He's far too cute when he looks like that..."_ she could think as the study went on for another minute, and the same went for Sans.

 _"she's definitely looking hotter than hotlands."_ the skeleton could think as he decided to break the somewhat awkward silence that came down between them.

"i like the way this goes," Sans said, between breaths, "you taste like ramen."

"And you taste like ketchup." she added, her eyes sparkling with love.

"shush. ketchup with me, darlin'. your fire is reaching me." the skeleton said as he gently laid her on her large bed, almost made for two.

"Looks like you want it to burn you entirely." she teased, as he was looming above her, with a somewhat predatory gaze in his eyesockets.

"i'm not just _heated_ up yet..." he added with a playful smirk. "but that's about to change."

* * *

 **[Meanwhile, in Waterfall...]**

"And that is why he _had to_ kill her, Papyrus. Trust me, it wasn't easy for Sans to break his promise to you." Shamir said as he looked at the crestfallen skeleton before him. "I'm really sorry for what happened to your girlfriend."

"I AM SOMEWHAT JEALOUS OF MY BROTHER...HE HAS SOMEONE." the tall skeleton managed to utter at the end of the sorry tale of Patricia.

"Please, try to be happy for your brother..." the jaguar sighed, "...look, I am also alone, and while I'm not entirely open to the idea of love, I'd rather be happy for the couples that make it. **Yeah, Ribras and Rasha, you two included.** You can come out now." he said as he spotted a set of familiar furs in the shadows.

"You knew we were here the whole time?" Ribras asked, smiling bashfully, while Rasha was happy only to grasp tighter the paw of her husband.

"Yes, I did," Shamir admitted. "in any case, now you know something more about me and also, about Papyrus." the jaguar finished by folding his arms.

"Shamir, you look _distraught_ ," Rasha noted as the jaguar's eyes seemed to glisten with some sadness, "are you alright?"

"I have to visit my parents..." Shamir said as he exhaled heavily, "...there's something that plagued my mind recently."

"Also, I have to inform you Parvos' whereabouts are unknown." the lioness added as she kept a tight grip of Ribras's paw.

"He can handle himself, I suppose." the jaguar said with a light shrug. "Anyway, let me know if he comes back. I'll be sure to **punish** him for his uncalled absence."


	4. Family Ties and Buried Conflicts

**Me: Good grief, I'm starting to get better at doing feel-y stuff.  
**

 **Shamir: There's a start for everything, right?**

 **Me: Right.**

 **Shamir: I hope your readers won't be weeping at the end.**

 **Me: Me too. Also, a small warning for some gore, I guess?  
**

 **Feely-Drabble...Roll!**

* * *

 **FAMILY TIES AND BURIED CONFLICTS  
**

 _"We'll always love you, little one."_

Shamir started to walk through Waterfall, in search for some answers, as if what he knew wasn't enough. His paws were leaving marks in the soft, humid grass as he heard the gentle flow of the river. What was about this area that impressed him so much? He didn't know, but he kept going, and going, until...

He saw the small statue in the shape of a goat child, and how rain gently dropped on the stone, as if tears were mourning the loss of this child. For some reason, his face fell into a frown, and felt the need to sit down, in front of the small statue. He felt the need to protect it...

 _"We'll always love you, little one."_

Shamir then tried to cover the statue with his large paws, while trying to understand why he felt this need of protecting the statue. _**"There has to be something around here..."**_ the large feline thought as he rose from the place, and started searching for something to cover the statue with.

He walked a while, and found a small rack full of various colored umbrellas. _**"Look, among them there's a blue one...just like my Delta rune."**_ the jaguar thought as he touched with his right paw, the Delta rune on his chest, and felt his SOUL pulse a little in anticipation. Confused a little about his reaction, the feline blinked a little to clear his head, and picked up the umbrella.

As he returned to the statue, Shamir checked for a way to place the umbrella, until he saw there was a small carving in it - he then forcefully removed the curbed handle, as it was of no use - and then placed it in the carving.

He then sat back in front of it, while inside the statue, a mechanism started to whirr as if lifting something until he heard a small click.

Then a soft tune started to play...

 **[Music - Memory/His Theme (Undertale) - Music Box Version]**

 _"We'll always love you, little one."_

Shamir closed his eyes, letting himself carried away by the tune - he even started humming along - and memories of his childhood were coming back, like the times when he read alongside Toriel, or when he helped Asgore with watering the flowers...

He remembered even the tragic tale of Asriel and Chara, that his parents told him when he was older, and he couldn't help a sigh as the dialogue was so vivid within his mind...

 _"So...the whole thing with the humans, was real?" a teen Shamir asked his parents as they were sitting round the table for three, sipping Golden Flower tea.  
_

 _Asgore sighed a little, and he placed down his cup before replying, "Yes, Shamir, it was a real thing. But we-" he was about to say as he turned towards Toriel, whose eyes were brimming with tears. "we aren't quite willing to open up this..." he paused as he saw Toriel on the verge of crying, " ...subject, again."  
_

 _Toriel, even though her heart was aching, blinked away the tears that threatened to spill, and told Asgore to make it short. "He has to know..." she sighed, while re-heating her own cup of tea.  
_

 _"Your brothers died because the humans were still holding a grudge against us..." Asgore started softly, as he squeezed Toriel's free paw in support, "Chara died because he was sick, while Asriel..."_

 _They paused as Asgore moved to place his large paws on Toriel's shoulders, and Shamir's face contorted in a frown, seeing Toriel so brokenhearted - it was because of her that he said that they could talk about this when they felt somewhat better about the whole thing._

 _Toriel opened her arms, and while Shamir hesitated for a moment, he couldn't resist the eyes of his mother and went on in her embrace, while gently hugging her back. Her bosom was so comfortable, and hearing her soft heartbeat..._

 _"Mom...I'm sorry I had to ask." he apologised as his head rested against her bosom. "I felt like I had to know."  
_

 _"I understand, Shamir." she softly cooed to the teen jaguar as she kissed his head. "We promise you'll know more...someday."_

 _"Mom, I love you." Shamir said as he looked at her teary eyes. "I-I mean it."_

 _"I know." she replied. "We'll always love you, little one."_

 **[Music Stop]  
**

His eyes opened as the tune stopped for a moment, and felt tears running down his face. _**"They eventually told me Asriel got killed because the humans attacked him as he led Chara's body to the surface..."**_ he thought as he wiped his tears. _**"When did I grow so distant from them?"  
**_

He looked once more at the statue before him, and noticed the small plate in the center...

"For Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of Monsters. _You'll always be in our hearts, as they beat as one._ " Shamir read the text aloud, and touched the small Delta rune below. _**"Asriel...the brother I never knew."**_ He sighed and then walked away from the statue, as if it felt quite difficult to do so - he would've stood there forever if he could - but then again, he had something important to do.

 _"He has to know..."_

He went to the River Person's boat, a doubtful look written all over his face, which the River Person noticed, yet didn't want to bother the Royal Captain about it - they too, knew about the fact he looked _troubled_ and _desperate_ for some answers - Shamir then asked for a Hotlands ride, as he sat in the small boat. He noticed that this time, the boat had a dog's head on it, and Shamir couldn't help leave out a low hiss.

"Tra la la...The Jaguar opens his eyes." River Person commented as the boat was gently cutting through the stream.

"I wonder to _what_ I open my eyes." the feline retorted as his arms were folded. "I'm far too troubled by this..." Shamir added with a sigh.

"Tra la la. Regret fills your SOUL, but it will go away with time."

"Right, like it were _that_ easy..." the jaguar said as he looked away, noticing the orange grounds of Hotland and felt the hot air that blew through the tunnel ruffle through his fur.

"Tra la la. Do not worry, things will sort themselves. Beware."

"Thanks, River Person." Shamir nodded as he descended from the boat.

 **[Hotlands]**

He must've walked through the hot-aired lands for a while, avoiding the steam vents, meeting some of the Hotland monsters like Tsunderplane and Pyrope, but at some point, due to the heat, confusion jumbled his mind completely - the jaguar started seeing hallucinations before him, like another feline in this hell, or a giant bowl of cream - and he also noticed that he began sweating a lot. _**"I have to reach a cooler place, this...can't be happening."**_ Shamir thought as he looked for ways to get out of the lava-like territory.

In the shadows, three pairs of eyes were watching him...

Shamir managed, finally, to reach Ribras and Rasha' sentry station - which they manned on rare occasions - and saw a large water cooler in the distance. _**"Water..."  
**_ was his only thought, but before he managed to grasp a glass and fill it with water, darkness overtook him. _**"What the...?!"**_

 **[?]**

Three male monsters were looking at the captured jaguar before them, who was blindfolded and knocked out, tied to a chair, and his belongings tossed on a large table. They looked like they **planned** this for a long, long time, and one of the monsters kicked the unconscious jaguar in the muzzle - almost satisfied by doing this, while the others stared at their prisoner with scrunched faces.

"So, you want to take revenge on 'im like that?" one of the monsters said, the fading light revealing the sillhouette of a bear.

"He's the boss, he can revenge on the jaguar however he likes," another voice called out, the light revealing two rabbit ears.

"Wakey-wakey, Shamir!" the leading monster said, while two feline ears could be visible in the faint light.

Shamir was slowly regaining his consciousness, and felt that he was tied, a line of blood running from his muzzle. At first, he tried to struggle, only to be punched again by the feline monster somewhat harder this time.

"Do you know who I am, Shamir?" the voice of the feline monster bellowed in rage.

"What have you done to me?" the jaguar retorted, "And...I feel like I should know **you**."

"For years, you've treated me like your slave!" the feline monster said, "and it's time you **paid** for all I had to suffer at your paws!" as he kicked Shamir in the chest.

The jaguar grunted as he took in the hit, and spat some blood - he was still blindfolded, and the scent of his assailants seemed to be hidden - so there was no way for him to know. The voice of the monster that hit him was somewhat familiar...

"Parvos? Is that you?" Shamir managed to cough out, through his spits of blood.

"The **mighty** Royal Captain finally figured who I am!" the leopard laughed maniacally. "I am so glad **you** are in my paws now, **Captain**."

"Boss, shouldn't you fight fair? I mean..." the rabbit monster said as he looked at the blindfolded jaguar.

 **"Shut up, Crank! I decide what happens to him."** Parvos said in a menacing voice, and then looked back at Shamir **"My father was right...you really are weak."**

"Th-" Shamir spat some blood, "That's why you joined the Royal Guard? And here I thought...", he paused to regain his breath, "...you were a promising guard."

" **Tch. He told me, when he was old, that you were such a lousy Guard. And that you didn't deserve to be leader! He wanted to pass down the leadership to me!** " Parvos roared, **"But no...King Asgore decides _his son_ is a better leader." ** he added as he shot another punch at the jaguar.

"My father knew what was best for the Kingdom! And you were a mere teenager! **You wanted to be a Royal Captain from the start?! Do you have any idea how much work it takes to be a Captain?!"** Shamir bellowed, as his claws unsheathed, breaking the ropes that bound him, and took off the blindfold.

 **"You...You'll pay for taking my place!"** Parvos said as he held out the two daggers he kept around his belt, eyes betraying fury.

"If I have to beat some sense into you, so be it, Parvos." Shamir shook his head in disbelief, as his paws charged with electricity. **"I believed in you."**

 **[Music - Undertale: Battle Against a True Hero - Metal Cover || RichaadEB]**

Parvos lunged at the jaguar before him, swiping with his daggers in a fast manner, while Shamir tried to counter with his lightning paws, cuts forming on them here and there, blood dripping on the floor. The leopard saw that the jaguar didn't really want to fight, and this angered him more as he tried to kick his head - but Shamir blocked the kick with his left paw, and sent a right jab through Parvos' chest, pushing him back a few paces. Parvos coughed a little, trying to focus his breath, and then started shooting energy balls from his paws, trying to burn the jaguar, while the latter tried to evade the blows that made holes in the wall behind them, light starting to slip through the cracks.

Shamir then picked up his Dual Sabers, and tightened his grip on the handles, eyes narrowed in expectation, as Parvos lunged at him again, daggers now charged with dark electricity of his own, starting to spin furiously, as if making a leopard tornado, aiming to slice his enemy at any cost. One thing was certain, he wasn't going to let Shamir just walk away from this, but the jaguar was more than proficient with this kind of attack, so he parried the subsequent slices as metal on metal clashing could be heard, the force of Parvos' attack pushing Shamir into the wall behind, and the jaguar ducked under the violent slices as the wooden wall behind him broke completely.

He then managed to parry another slice and jumped in mid-air, electricity dancing around the sabers as he wanted to finish this fight...

 **"Jaguar's Fury!"** Shamir bellowed as he sent towards Parvos an X-shaped attack, hoping that this would at least **discourage** Parvos from lashing out again, but the leopard managed to block the attack by summoning a dark shield around him, and a big grin formed on his snout. ** _"What? When did he-"_** Shamir thought as he felt the leopard's presence closer to him.

 **"Surprise."** was all that Parvos said before powering a dark kick to Shamir's chest, the latter caught off-guard by the recent teleportation powers he's got, and the jaguar's impact with the ground was strong enough to leave out a large hole in it. "Bet you didn't see **this** coming, eh? I've learned a few things from your friend, Sans."

Shamir opened his eyes weakly, noticing Parvos was still in mid-air, powering a ball of energy. _**"You...bastard..."**_ was all the jaguar could think, as he shook his head in disbelief. _**"All those years in which I...trained you...and you did nothing but be a prick..."**_ He then rose slowly, recovering from his wounds, and felt that his stamina and magic were at half. _**"I don't want to hurt you..."**_

 _"A Dreemurr wouldn't do this."_

 ** _"But I have no choice, but to teach you a lesson."_** the jaguar thought as he closed his eyes, electricity starting to dance around him as he did that. _**"Time out, Parvos."**_

 **"Come on, Shamir,"** the leopard laughed, "where's the power of the jaguar, eh?" **  
**

In response, Shamir let out a powerful roar, loud enough to be heard throughout the Underground, breaking Parvos' stance completely, while the jaguar lunged at him with his lightning-coated sabers, eyes red with fury. The leopard seemed to find it harder and harder to parry the attacks of the jaguar, and the few cuts on his fur were proof of that, and he couldn't understand how the Captain was **still** able to fight, despite his cuts on the fur and the obvious weakening.

 **"I am tired of your insolence!"** the jaguar roared as he landed another blow that Parvos couldn't block efficiently, more cuts and burns were visible on the leopard's fur, **"I did everything I could for you, and this is how you repay me?"**

"You have **no idea** what I've been through!" Parvos roared as he countered another blow from Shamir, pushing him back with an energy ball.

"I thought I could **trust you**!" Shamir retorted as he summoned a few sets of lightning strikes, while Parvos tried to dodge them with some effort.

" **I should've been-** " the leopard wanted to say something, but he was silenced by ten powerful lightning strikes that zapped him brutally, while a gust of powerful wind sent him into some nearby trees.

Shamir panted with exhaustion - he didn't understand where this strength came from - and looked at the now unconscious leopard before him, shaking his head in disbelief. _**"A part of me wants to kill him, yet another..."**_ he sighed, _**"...wants me to forgive him."**_ He approached the leopard with caution, and as he tried to wake him up, one of Parvos' paws grabbed Shamir's throat - but the jaguar's grip was stronger than his, and he forced the leopard to yield before him, twisting his arm.

"I was ready to forgive you," Shamir narrowed his eyes, **"but since you're so adamant on killing me..."** he said as twenty lightning strikes burned the fur off the leopard completely. "Your lovely fur will grow back...but until then, you'll learn that there's no such thing as **crossing the Royal Captain.** "

 **[New Home]**

Toriel looked at Shamir with concern as she saw the blood running down his snout and face, and gently kissed him to heal his wounds, while wondering what could've brought her son in here, and why he was in such a sorry state. The jaguar hugged her tenderly, as if he sorely missed her, and Toriel looked even more surprised by such a display of affection - she knew that Shamir wasn't the kind to overdo affection, but it was certainly a first step.

"Mom...I'm home." he said, with the softest of tones he could muster.

"Oh goodness! It's been a long time since you last visited us..." Toriel said as her eyes glistened with hope, "...I'm glad you came here today. I baked some butterscotch-cinnamon pie, as if knowing you'd come home."

"I'm sorry, Mom," the jaguar said as his head hung low in shame, "I was so busy doing all the Royal Guard stuff...and..."

"Now, now," Toriel softly cooed, "what matters is that you're home."

"I'll go see Dad first, and then I'm going to eat some pie." Shamir smiled gently towards the goat monster.

Asgore was tending to the golden flowers, as usual, and hummed his merry tone while watering the flowers - but he stopped the moment he felt a presence in the room. "Dum dee dum... Hold on a moment, I'm almost done watering the flowers." the kingly monster said as his cape flowed with the breeze, and then turned towards his guest - he was in for an unexpected surprise.

"Howdy-" Asgore said, but stopped as he saw who was before him, a shocked expression forming on his face. _**"Golly, I hope I'm not seeing things..."** _ Asgore thought as he looked at the large jaguar, who seemed like he had better days than this.

"Howdy, Dad." Shamir chuckled. "Yeah, it's me, no need to be so shocked." the feline lazily waved his right paw.

 **"Shamir, my son!"** Asgore ran as he hugged the jaguar, while the latter sweatdropped from the hilarity of the situation.

"Dad, you can break the hug now..." Shamir said as he felt quite pressured under the goat monster's bearlike hug.

"Sorry, Shamir," Asgore apologized awkwardly. "It's been a long time since I last saw you, er..."

"It's okay. I'm here to..." the feline paused, "...stay with you for a while."

The jaguar's heart started to fill with more hope, love, and warmth as he said those words - he meant them - and while the relationship with his parents felt strained since he did Royal Guard duties, he knew one thing.

 _"We'll always love you, little one."_


	5. A Questionable War and Shamir's Fears

**Me: Welp, I'm really enjoying dialogue scenes, aren't I...**

 **Shamir: You are, you are.**

 **Me: One thing is certain, this shows how complicated...  
**

 **Shamir: ...life was for me.**

 **Me: Something like that.**

 **Drabble ...roll!**

* * *

 **A QUESTIONABLE WAR AND SHAMIR'S FEARS  
**

While Asgore never let anyone get close to the Barrier, Shamir felt a strange need to see it for himself, and the kingly monster did nothing but show his son the very thing that separated monsterkind from humanity, for all this time they've been here. Asgore looked as his son held a paw on the barrier, the latter emitting soft radiances, white as snow, to the jaguar's touch, and felt a chilly wind rustling through their fur and robes. The goat monster noticed it must've been winter outside, if the wind was so cold, but he couldn't help notice Shamir's eyes were so focused on the barrier. It almost felt like he wanted to pierce it with his own power, to bring happiness for monsterkind - he wasn't the only one that felt hopelessness grasping onto his soul, whenever a monster talked about the barrier - and right now, joy was needed in the middle of the monsters' sorrow.

 ** _"If I could break you, everyone would be happy. They wouldn't have to be hopeless! They would live a better life! This is my hope for them, why can't I break you?!"_** Shamir's thoughts were going, as he closed his eyes, their usual azure turning into a crimson red.

"Shamir?" Asgore asked as the jaguar still kept his paw over the barrier. "Son?" the kingly monster asked again as he placed a paw over Shamir's right shoulder.

"Father..." the jaguar replied in a sad tone, "I have a wish for us all. I wish we wouldn't be trapped in this mountain..." Shamir hesitated, "I wish I was stronger, to change all this."

"It's a miracle I hope to fulfill for you all one day," Asgore sighed as he looked behind him, where the SOUL containers were. "I do my best to ensure our freedom."

"I cannot help but question your plan, father." Shamir said as he closed his eyes, "Is it right to do it so? Isn't there another way?"

"No. I'm afraid not, the legend says only the strength of seven souls will break the barrier..."

"Do you still think those children..." the jaguar sighed, recollection flashing within his eyes, "...deserved to die?"

"They are our enemies, there's no other solution to this." Asgore said as he looked away in shame.

"I refuse to believe you do not have other options." Shamir finally took his paw off the barrier, and folded his arms. "This...scars our souls, father. We're made out of hope, love and compassion. Is this how we really want to show humanity we're no longer a threat?"

"Since when did you..." the king's eyes widened in surprise over his son's change of heart.

"Don't ask. I'm starting to doubt everything I learned from Ratoveros." Shamir raised a paw, "That's why you find me surprisingly changed."

"The main point is, are you going to keep this mindset long enough?" Asgore said as he tilted his head, aware of the rumors about his son.

"I could try, but I'm not able to handle it properly." Shamir admitted sadly, as he dropped his arms in defeat. "His words overrule most of my thinking."

"He was certainly..." Asgore paused, "...a monster that sought to build everyone in his image, wasn't he?"

"And come to think Parvos attacked me just yesterday." the jaguar shook his head in disbelief.

"He did what?!" Asgore's eyes were wide in shock. "I trust you didn't..."

"No. But he figures there's way one can be **crossing the Royal Captain.** "

The two monsters sat in silence, as Shamir placed his paw once more over the barrier, leaving out a heavy sigh, unable to understand why this senseless policy of killing every human that his father ensued - it was a senseless war - and even he thought Asgore's acts were irrational. The barrier left out small radiances at the contact with the jaguar's paw, and he shook his head in disbelief while breaking the silence between them.

"Tell me that legend once more, father."

Asgore started pacing back and forth in the large cave that held the barrier, as he recounted the legend for - how many times had he told Shamir this legend, again? - not even he remembered, but it seemed like, with each time Shamir heard it, the jaguar's fury towards the humans was less and less existent. Except towards those who sealed them away like some animals, for those he won't have any mercy. _**"Is this what we truly deserved?"**_ Shamir was thinking as he listened his father's grave voice throughout the story, he felt responsible for not upholding the real values of monsterkind...

 _"The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us."_

 _Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust..._ "

 _"Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated."_

"They attacked out of cowardice..." Shamir muttered under his breath, "even if they knew they were stronger than us..."

"You don't know what war is like, Shamir..." Asgore said as he finished the story, looking at his son.

"Ratoveros _made sure_ I knew what war is like. He _constantly_ made sure I'd be challenged with war-like situations." Shamir shook his head once more, "And it was all tactical stuff. But my imagination allowed me to see beyond the games on the map."

"And what did you see?"

"Death. Screams of pain. Dust." the jaguar closed his eyes as his breath hitched for a moment. "War is unforgiving, that much I can _understand_."

"Shamir..." Asgore said as his eyes widened at how quickly his son was taking this in tow.

"You chose me as the leader of the Royal Guard for a reason." Shamir paused, "and I've disappointed everyone. My insistence, my pride..."

"..." Asgore chose to stay silent as his son shed a few tears before the barrier.

"My insistence, my pride, my fears..." the jaguar sighed, " **I wish all of these were gone! Pride means nothing if it's backed up by hollow words!** "

"...You're punishing yourself too hard, my son." the kingly monster said as he placed a paw over Shamir's left shoulder.

"I wouldn't do this if it wasn't **the right thing** , father. I don't deserve anything else but self-punishment. **I loathe who I've become.** "

Asgore pulled his son in a hug, and while Shamir was somewhat hesitant, he let himself hugged by the old monster, while tears kept flowing from his azure eyes. The jaguar's sobs were echoing through the cave, while Asgore held him in place, comforting him as he did when Shamir was a small cub, by humming a soft tune and patting his back. "There, there, my son..." he smiled at the teary-eyed jaguar, as the latter blinked away his tears - he was taught by Ratoveros to not be weak, no matter the circumstance.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be this weak," Shamir said.

"If you need reassurance, Shamir," Asgore paused, as he kept smiling, "know that me and Tori have never stopped loving you, in spite of the rumors we've heard."

"But, I..."

"I'm sorry I didn't guide you through the darkness Ratoveros sank you in." the goat monster said, with conviction.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to ask for your help." the jaguar hung his head low, in shame. "What kind of a Dreemurr am I if..."

"You're one of the best Dreemurrs this family could wish for," Asgore said, "and I hope you'll find your path, eventually. Whatever it will be, you'll always be a Dreemurr to us."

"I...I don't know what to say." Shamir said as he walked out from the barrier, "...you're certainly a lot more _merciful_ than I've been so far."


	6. Childhood Memories and Wrong Paths Taken

**CHILDHOOD MEMORIES**

 **Me: Oh. My. God...  
**

 **Shamir: Good grief...**

 **Toriel: Goodness, this is so adorable!  
**

 **Shamir: Mom! *blushes slightly***

 **Me: Awh, come on, Shamir. It's so cute!**

 **Shamir: Shut up, Shock.**

 **Me: You silly cat...  
**

 **Shamir: I still feel bad about this.**

 **Toriel: Let us start this little drabble, why not?**

* * *

The Dreemurr residence was ever so joyous, that much one monster could say as they would walk inside the large house. The particular scent of butterscotch and cinammon was the first thing any of their visitors would sniff in, and most monsters were somewhat comfortable even if they weren't fans of either butterscotch or cinammon. And when their visitors wandered in the back garden, they would be welcomed by the gentle king tending to the flowers, and the particular sight of such beautiful, golden flowers - it was obvious the king was a gifted gardener and could make any place much livelier - he always taught the monster children to take care of flowers surrounding their area, as their care meant a good step towards responsability.

But what their visitors never saw or heard were offsprings from the Royal family.

Toriel and Asgore were well aware that now, with Asriel's death, there was no chance for them to ever have another heir for the Underground throne, for someone of their own to take over, while they retreated into family life, into peace. Scores of days would go for the two Boss Monsters in mild arguments and faint recollections of their former children, and the days usually ended up with Toriel crying in Asgore's protective arms.

They were praying to whatever deity above that a miracle would come into their lives.

* * *

One night, as they were sleeping in their beds, someone knocked somewhat loudly on their front door, and left a small basket with a cub in it, with a small note that said, _"Please, take good care of me."_ The monster who abandoned him was never to be seen again, but it was certain it wasn't simple for the female to let her cub like that - truth is, she couldn't manage another child in their family - and thought he'd have a better future somewhere else. She knew about the Dreemurrs' gentle and loving nature, and smiled knowing the cub will grow in a better family.

 _"His name will be Shamir."_

* * *

The small cub was still oblivious to the world before him, but he definitely felt safe within Toriel's arms and her gentle heartbeat, as well as when Asgore would read him bedtime stories. He was still very young, he couldn't talk - and whenever he mewed, he didn't go in a desperate set of meows, as if he was very, very _patient_ _-_ he would just leave two mews and it was enough for Toriel to come look over him.

"Who's my little jaguar," she softly cooed, "yes, yes you are, Shamir."

"How's he doing, Tori?" Asgore said as he watched the scene in amazement, smiling.

"He's a little better than yesterday, and his mews are adorable." she giggled, taking the little cub in her fluffy arms.

"I hope he will speak at some point..." the kingly monster said sheepishly.

"You know, there's no rushing these things, Gorey." Toriel kissed him on the lips.

* * *

One day, when they were having their lunch, Shamir tilted his head towards Toriel and said, "To..."

"...ri." Toriel said as she gently ruffed his head. "Try again, little one."

"To..." little Shamir tried to focus, "...ri."

"Look, Asgore, he's trying to say my name." she said, smiling with pride.

"To..." Shamir tried once more, "...ri."

"Isn't he adorable, Tori? He's also very, very determined." Asgore chuckled as he sipped from his tea.

"Tori." Shamir finally managed to say. "Ma..."

"...ma." Toriel completed once more. "Dearest, you're progressing," she added as she held little Shamir in her fluffy arms.

* * *

It was time for his first bath, and she read somewhere that cats don't like water at all. _"Goodness, how am I going to wash him, if he's not even remotely tolerating water?"_ she thought as little Shamir was mumbling under his breath - he was practicing his words - Toriel could hear her name, his name, how he said "pie", and she was patient, Shamir could be a very determined cub when he wanted to. Right now, she was still at a loss how to treat the subject of bath with the little cub next to her.

"Let's get you in the tub, little one." Toriel said as she gently placed Shamir in the warm water.

At first, the cub wasn't very pleased with the idea that he had to stay in water, but it was something about it that made bathing a lot more tolerable...

The fact that the water was so warm, as well as fun to play with.

* * *

(Present)

Now, he was a grown cat, he wasn't anymore that small cub she used to gently cuddle with and nuzzle whenever it was time for bed - no, he was beyond that point, - and he believed that there was no way he could return to his childhood days. But as always, what he thought was never according to reality and was surprised to hear a particular question he never believed to hear, one day.

"Do you remember the times I used to hold you tenderly, Shamir?" Toriel suddenly asked as she sat on the large, white sofa.

"I..." he cleared his throat as he looked towards the motherly monster, "I do, mother, I actually do."

"Would you be so kind as to sit here...and recall them as best as you can?" she smiled softly towards him, as she patted the empty spot on the sofa, next to her.

"Of course..." he blushed a little, as he sat next to her.

"I'm all ears, little one."

"I remember when I called your name..." his ears flopped, "I couldn't understand anything, but your smile was all I needed."

"Is that so, dearest?" she smiled at how adorable he was, even now, as a big feline.

"Y-Yes..." Shamir awkwardly admitted. "I can also remember when you kept me from crying one day."

"Go on, tell me, what do you remember?"

"I was so upset I lost one of my toys, that I ...remember mewing loudly...and crying. And then you came, enveloping me in your grace."

Toriel could barely resist giving him one of her hugs, he looked so incredibly flustered as he remembered everything - and come to think of it, they were now spending much more time than they did before - if there was one thing that she could discern out of her son, well, it was his joy and suffering, at the same time, he certainly looked like he wasn't okay with the fact so much has been lost between them... But here he was, spending time with them, strengthening his bond, making amends for all the time he wasn't here.

* * *

"Hey, give it back!" a small Shamir said as he kept his small paws up.

"Look at him, all fierce." a Loox taunted him.

"He's just a little cub. Pass that ball, Looxie," an Astigmatism said towards one of the Looxes.

"I said, give it back!" Shamir roared once more.

"Or what, Sh'mirey? You'll go cry to your mama?" the three bullies laughed at him.

"Pass it here, Loox!" the other Loox said, as he saw the jaguar still standing with paws up.

"Watch it, 'Mirey boy!" the Astigmatism said as he kicked the ball towards the jaguar.

Shamir blocked the subsequent ball with a powerful punch, deflating it and scaring the three bullies in process - they didn't know just how powerful he was - while the small jaguar was amazed at the progress he did. _"This is so cool! I gotta tell Mom and Dad!"_ he thought while he ran towards the small, yet beautiful home in the capital, for he was indeed proud of his own success...

"I was bullied by three Looxes..." he started saying, "but I punched the ball and deflated it, they were scared!"

"Now, now, I trust you haven't harmed them, yes?" Toriel said, her voice bearing no tone of praise or reproach.

"No, I haven't laid a paw on them." Shamir said as he placed his paw over the blue robe.

"Very well, my dearest." the motherly monster replied, ruffling his fur on the head a little. "Time for your lesson!"

* * *

(Present)

"I still love your lessons, by the way." Shamir said, as his paws formed a heart like he used to do when he was little.

"Perhaps there is time for another lesson," Toriel smiled, as she booped his snout. "A lesson about values."

Shamir tilted his head, a little confused, as she picked his paw and lifted him. "Follow me, we're going to the small classroom I did for you."

"Eh? You still have that room in there?" his eyes widened in surprise.

"Of course, you silly," Toriel said, her voice betraying a little chuckle, "We keep it for you, to show you that lessons can always be taught. Some can be taught by yourself, or..." she paused as they reached a room where it wrote _Room under renovations_ , and pressed on the doorknob, revealing a somewhat dusty makeshift classroom, with a large blackboard and a small desk, made just for - at that time - little Shamir. He looked awkwardly, as there was no way he would be able to sit at the desk, so he did something different.

He summoned a small Circle of Wind, strong enough to sustain his weight, but gentle enough to not disturb the dust around the room - Toriel certainly looked impressed at the prowess her son made in his abilities. She wondered if there would've been any chance he would master a little pyrokinesis too, but given the fact he mastered lightning and wind... _"I hope one day..."_

"Okay...I'm listening," Shamir said as he looked at the blackboard before him.

"Values are very, very important to a monster, " she began, in her lecturing voice, "they define the core of said monster. The main three are...?" she asked Shamir, who was focused on memorizing what she told him.

"The three main values are love, hope and compassion." he replied, with a small smile on his snout.

"Very good. Apart from these, we have a lot of qualities..." she said as if to highlight the idea, "...and also a lot of defects. Okay, Shamir. Imagine you are asked to tell my qualities. What sets me aside from everyone else?"

Shamir stood for a moment, thinking real hard, trying not to fail her, "Your determination, your courage, your ambition."

"Not enough, add something more - as far as you've said, we're pretty much alike in those three qualities as well."

"Er...your instincts?" he said, only to be met with that deadly stare, as if thinking he purposefully answered that wrong.

"No. My selflessness." she eventually smiled towards him.

"And you tell me I ...I lack that?"

Shamir, while he wasn't related at all to the Dreemurrs, one could see that his wits were as sharp as Toriel's - perhaps because she took great care to rub off him, to make him enjoy books, and learning things - but the jaguar felt like the lesson had another motive behind, rather than just teaching him more about values. "Is this your way to tell me that I've disappointed you?"

"I often wonder if Ratoveros taught you anything good." she frowned. "Why didn't you come to me, or your father?"

"I..." Shamir tried to say something, but he was at a loss for words.

In truth, Ratoveros often said that he should be learning from a feline, and that his parents probably won't be of much help - while Shamir shook his head in disbelief of how narrowminded he could be, he was a young, idealistic jaguar, and having a feline mentor seemed like a better choice - but doubt started to worm its way in his older self. _"Just...only now I realise I've been doing things out of line."_ and looked at his mother, who seemed disappointed - no, it was a feeble word - she was absolutely feeling broken by the fact her own son was inept to see his derailing behaviour.

"No matter. I know that, somehow, you'll be better." she broke the silence between them.

"...Have you lost all of your faith in me?"

"Does it sound to you like I've lost all of it, little one?" Toriel said, a little bitterly.

"I don't want to make a mockery of our name. I..."

"I know." she shushed him. "That's why I know you'll be better."


	7. Changing Mindset and Hard Lessons

**Me: Holy Dreemurrs...**

 **Toriel: Shock...**

 **Asgore: Golly...**

 **Me: I know.**

 **Sans: i have something in my eyes.**

 **Me: ...Yeah. Me too.**

 **Drabble...Drabble...S-Start.**

* * *

 **CHANGING MINDSET AND HARD LESSONS  
**

The area of Waterfall was silent most of the time, apart from the gentle flowing of the river nearby, and it usually was a casual walk for any monster crossing the area. But there were times when this peaceful scenery was disturbed by a jaguar's powerful roar as he trained in the Royal Guards' grounds, and even Gerson was shaking his head at the fact the young one never stopped training - at the beginning of each day, he would hear swords clashing in the distance, lightning strikes, and powerful blows landed here and there - and as time went on, the sound wasn't stopping. He was ready to go and tell Toriel that she should discipline her son, but remembered that he couldn't throw away their friendship because the jaguar went astray. _"One day, the young'in will find his path, eventually. I just hope he won't become a monster that cares about glory, like that panther. And come to think I tried to teach Ratoveros a thing or two, but he was stubborn and arrogant. Shamir isn't like that yet, but he's on the edge."_

Unbeknowst to him, Sans was sharing the same opinion about Shamir. While he was his best friend, not even he could bear to watch how the jaguar slowly fell in his inner darkness, as if there was no light left to dispel it. _"maybe it's shifting time."_ the small skeleton thought as he headed towards the Royal Guards' training grounds, willing to put an end to Shamir's training. He also rang Toriel on the way down, an idea going through his skull, _"i hate using that against him, but it's the only way he'll open up his eyes. and if he fails to get it, we'll do it again, and again."_

"hey, tori, ya there?"

"Yes, Sans, what is it?"

"would you mind comin' down to royal guards' hq? i'll need some help with a plan."

"What kind of..." her voice gave of a tone of surprise, until it clicked. "So, you're acting on THAT plan?"

"yes."

"I'll be joining you shortly, and I'll bring down Asgore too. He has to see this."

"okay, see ya there."

As he approached the Royal Guards' quarters, he could hear some argument on the grounds - Parvos and Shamir _-_ the former was complaining about how Shamir still gave a chance to Undyne, in spite of the fact she pinned him to the wall a few days ago, while the latter was _adamant_ that nobody would question his decision about her. By the sound of it, the argument would soon escalate into a fight if Parvos kept going like this, and Shamir kept retorting - and walked in to see whatever would happen next - Sans could hide his magical signature even when he was there.

" **Listen.** I do no want to repeat myself **again**. I am willing to give her a chance!" Shamir narrowed his eyes in anger, his voice filled with the same emotion.

"Do you really want her to affect our coordination?! You have any idea..." Parvos paused, a small huff leaving him, "...what a **liability** she is?!"

Shamir folded his arms as he exhaled with anger, "I get the feeling that you're afraid for your position, Parvos. I know, I'm a bad example in what concerns pride and morality, but she made a point by showing me just how strong she is. And if I have a mind to make her my second-in-command, you won't have any call in it."

" **WHAT?!** " the leopard roared at the jaguar before him, and lunged with a punch, but Shamir was faster than him and caught the attack, crushing the former's paw, making Parvos wince in great pain.

"I said, **you won't have any call in it.** At least Ribras and Rasha are not so adamant on opposing her," Shamir paused as he looked at the two lions, "in spite of the fact they don't know if they can agree with my decision."

Sans watched from the sidelines as the jaguar wasn't taking Parvos' nonsense, and smiled a little as he waited for the right moment. _"so far so good...he's not tolerating bullshit from anybody...but we have to make this stick! we have to keep him on the light's side..."_ He also felt Toriel approaching, alongside Asgore, and smiled even more. _"good, she's here too...time for firebones."_

As Shamir was ready to punch Parvos, a loud, motherly voice broke the building rage of the jaguar, and he looked towards her as she shouted, " **Enough, Shamir! This has to stop!** " while Asgore's eyes were wide open at how his son has gone too far, and Sans revealed himself from the shadows. "heya, buddy."

"Wh..." he asked as he let go of Parvos' paw, "What are you doing here?"

"we don't want to do this, buddy." Sans shrugged, "but you need to change that mind of yours."

"Shamir..." Toriel slowly approached him, "you have not listened to reason. We have no choice but..."

"to beat it back into you." Sans closed his eyes. "ready, tori?"

"Ready, Sans."

* * *

 **[Music: Undertale: Megalovania - Metal Cover || RichaadEB]  
**

Toriel lit her paws on fire, while Sans was playing casually with a bone, and Shamir felt like this was going down to a fight. He sighed, he didn't want to fight them, but they called it out, so there would be no backing down right now - he charged up his paws with electricity, not willing to use any swords for this particular battle - and pushed Parvos aside, giving him a deathly glare. " **You and I are not done, leopard.** " He then shook off the anger as he looked at Toriel and Sans - they were determined to set him straight by fighting him - and sighed as he took battle positions.

Sans brought up a large array of sharp bones, and launched them towards the jaguar, closing his eyes, while Toriel's lit paws united themselves and gave way to seven large fireballs, aimed for Shamir too, and she sighed at all this. Asgore, Ribras and Rasha looked with worry as Shamir was just recovering from the wound, and here he was, forced to fight two monsters he cared for - he loved Toriel with all of his heart, and the thought of fighting her was just making his will falter, while Sans was his best friend with whom he stargazed - and punched away a few bones before avoiding them, only to land in the target of two large fireballs that burned his crossed arms. It was almost like didn't want to use anything against them...

He jumped in mid-air, while summoning some Charger Shocks, forcing Sans to warp and Toriel to cast a shield of fire, while Asgore seemed to understand that Shamir was _reluctant_ to fight. They were willing to risk their bones, respectively fur, to save him from the dark path he went down on, but Asgore didn't want to stay aside as Toriel was fighting, and summoned his Trident, jumping in front of her. "Tori. I want to help out too...If there's someone who can save him, it's us all, his family!"

"asgore's right, tori. you two take turns in fighting, while i..." he chuckled, "i'll have fun on my own."

 _"No...even Dad is joining this fight? W-why?!"_ Shamir thought as tears were starting to roll from his eyes. _"I don't want to fight them! I refuse to fight them!"_ his mind was rebelling at the thought he was **forced** to fight his own family, but another thought wormed within his mind - that wasn't his own, oh no, it was something Ratoveros told him - _"Don't be weak and vulnerable! Don't let anyone, be it family or friend, stand in your path of glory!"_ He looked at the three monsters, obviously locked in a battle of wits with himself, and shook his head while he felt his SOUL cracking into tiny little pieces, and unsheathed his Dual Sabers.

 _"Is this what you really want?!"_

Asgore went charging towards his son, and Shamir instinctively blocked the trident aiming to kill him, seeing that his father was also _reluctant_. Metal clashed with metal, as Shamir tried to push him back, get himself away from the duel, and saw a light blue beam coming towards him - he instantly summoned a gust of wind that deflected the beam and pushed the three monsters back, their robes, respectively jacket, flowing with the hurling wind.

 **"Why are you doing this?!"** Shamir roared as the wind was howling powerfully. **"This isn't going anywhere!"**

"we'll do this until you stop being so **cocky** about yourself, buddy." Sans said as three Gaster Blasters fired at the jaguar, forcing him to deflect the beams with his Sabers.

"Shamir..." Toriel's voice called out to him, "We want to see you back with us!"

"Shamir..." Asgore's baritonal voice called out too, "We want our son back!"

"What..." Shamir muttered under his breath, unaware that a larger fireball was heading his way, and he was hit full-force by the blaze, his robes and fur getting burned, knocking him down for a few moments. He, however, was panicked about the fact the Delta rune on his robes was in danger to be burned, _"No, no, no!"_ he desperately pounced with his paws to tone down the fire, hissing as the fire licked through them. Toriel and Asgore exchanged a curious look, and one thought ran through their mind, _"Perhaps he is not completely fallen. He can be saved!"_ while Sans casually stood there, a Gaster Blaster next to him, ready to deliver the next blow.

 _"No...I don't want this."_ he thought as he rose from the ground, shaking his head and tears running down his face. "Please... stop!" he pleaded to the three monsters, but it didn't seem like it will end peacefully.

"sadly, we can't stop. no blue signs." Sans shrugged as he fired towards Shamir, forcing the jaguar to jump away and avoid the beam.

"Please, Shamir, you have to stop seeing yourself like this!" Toriel called out, in the softest voice ever heard of her.

"Shamir, come back to us!" Asgore bellowed, as he stood there with his Trident, prepared for the jaguar's next attack.

 **[Music: Undertale Soundtrack: Memory (statue music box theme)]**

 _"What have I done..."_ he thought as he collapsed on his knees before the three monsters, his willpower gone, his SOUL wrenching at the fact he just went horribly wrong somewhere. His tears stained the already humid grass of Waterfall, and he couldn't help sobbing. He, the great warrior of the Underground, was reduced to a sobbing mess because he was forced to fight the ones he cared about the most. _  
_

 _"Don't let anyone, be it family or friend, stand in your path of glory!"_

 _"I don't want this."_

His sobs shocked even the three feline guards he was supposed to lead - and Parvos clenched his fist in fury, his father was right, Shamir was weak - while Ribras and Rasha felt a great deal of pity for their leader. After all, he went down a path Ratoveros laid out for him, even if he showed signs of hesitation, of regret, of loneliness - he often wanted to go back to his parents, ask for aid, but the panther made it clear that he won't tolerate insubordination - they knew how often Shamir got beat up because he tried to resist Ratoveros' decisions.

 _"It was another day of training, and Shamir looked and acted out of focus, as if something troubled him. He went towards Ribras and Rasha, and confided in them that he wanted to go back home, to the Dreemurrs, and the panther overheard him. Ratoveros picked him up by his backhead fur and made him kneel before the panther, a somewhat killing intent visible in the darker feline's eyes, telling him a Royal Guard isn't a fluffy pushover like King Asgore or a smartass like Queen Toriel. Shamir retorted at this horrible badmouthing about his parents, only to be punched in the muzzle by the larger feline."_ the two lions remembered as they looked at the sobbing jaguar.

 _"Please...I don't want this! I don't want to fight!"_

Toriel slowly approached her son, and gently raised his head, wiping the spilling tears. Shamir's eyes were filled with regret and shame, yet he couldn't avoid her tender gaze, it almost mended the SOUL that threatened to crack and turn him to a pile of dust - and then she pulled him in a soft, warming hug, spilling some tears of her own _,_ while Asgore looked with a soft gaze towards the jaguar in Toriel's arms and placed a paw over his loving wife. Sans was happy to shed a few tears of his own, as a smile tried to form itself through those tears.

"Shh...I'm here, little one." she gently held him close to her, while petting his head, and he couldn't say anything as his sobs were slowly, but surely coming to a stop. "Mommy is here for you, Shamir."

"I..."

"What is done is done, my dear child." she told him in her motherly voice, "But you must focus on what you have to do from now."

 _"I'm a bad example in what concerns pride and morality."_

"Mom..." he said, with a trembling voice, "Don't...pull this on me...ever again."

"We will do so, each time you deter from what we've taught you." she said, the authority in her voice obvious.

"I...won't."

 _"Will you be able to keep this mindset...?"_


	8. Responsabilities and Retribution

**Me: It's feline time!**

 **Shamir: Wh...?**

 **Me: You'll see what I mean.**

 **Toriel: Goodness, Shock...you certainly know how to surprise us. *smiles gently towards ShockDreemurr***

 **Me: ...Thanks, Goat Mom. *blushes***

 **Toriel: No trouble, my child.**

 **Me: You're the best mom. *huggles***

 **Shamir: Let's start the drabble, Shock!**

 **Me: Right you are, buddy.**

 **Commence...Feline Drabble time!**

* * *

 **RESPONSABILITIES AND RETRIBUTION  
**

Rumors travelled fast in the Underground, and the fact that the Dreemurrs were forced to fight their son was shocking news to everyone - everyone except a certain dark panther, who scoffed at the fact the two royals were weak, and managed to rub off the jaguar who ran the Royal Guard - but he gritted his teeth to the fact that Parvos didn't manage to take the damn idiot's place. He was also lucky to be alive, after all he pulled on the Dreemurrs' son, he was certain that nothing could touch him, as a former Royal Guardsman, for he was still appreciated by the other monsters, while others weren't so sure about what has become of the Guard since Ratoveros, and now, Shamir's lead, those others being in favor of Ratoveros' son, Parvos.

They were actually hoping the leopard wouldn't be arrogant like his father, but only Shamir knew just how wrong they were.

Undyne, however, still kept her faith in the jaguar, as well as her sister, Alphys - the two, like the old Dreemurrs, were still seeing his potential - while Sans was still skeptical of how much did their fight actually did, _"come on, buddy...figure it already."_ as the skeleton stayed behind, watching Shamir trying to recover from the heart-wrenching blow to his SOUL. Of that much the jaguar was certain, **he deserved it** , his past, his actions were now getting retribution in one form or another...and something in his mind changed - after seeing just how determined they were to set him on the right track, he knew that all that Ratoveros taught him was a mistake.

The panther used his link with the Dreemurrs to break his will, to corrupt him, to turn him against everyone, and Ratoveros often spoke ill of the Dreemurrs.

 _"Time for a little visit."_ Shamir thought as his paws were still shaking due to the battle. _"I don't care about what lies he has to say anymore..."_

* * *

Shamir took a deep breath, before wandering towards the capital with a somewhat heavy head, as his mind was focused on what he needed to learn from the panther, and how to punish him for all that he's been doing so far. The jaguar walked up and down the alleyways of the capital, several monsters eyeing him with curiosity and whispering things to one another - the only thing he could do was just walk by, and cool his temper - while looking intently for the exact residence of Ratoveros. He could've tried asking Parvos, but knowing the leopard, the chances of getting some information out of him would be close to none - Shamir sighed at the fact that his parents **had** **to fight** against him just to show that Ratoveros' path was damn wrong, and that if the jaguar followed in his pawprints, nobody could've saved him anymore. _"I have to stay on the right path. The path they have shown me..."_ he thought as he stopped before a long, darkened alleyway, with a somewhat ruined-like home at the end.

 _"This is it, time for a little chat..."_

The decaying walls and the lack of any front plaque made it **almost** impossible for someone to track Ratoveros down, and Shamir could only hiss under his breath, "That miserable coward..." pausing for a moment to reflect on what brought him here. "I managed to stand forward, take my mistakes in tow," he sighed as recollection filled his SOUL with a hint of sadness, "and it took my family and my friend, three monsters I care about, for me to figure the whole bullshit he's been pulling me through **all this time**." He then knocked on the large, somewhat frail wooden door and waited for response on the other side.

Ratoveros's voice bellowed from the hallway, asking who was there, while the jaguar was able to hear the sound of hardened footsteps, and a gentle rustling of robes. Shamir tried to hide his voice, speaking a little lower than usual, "I'm looking for Ratoveros."

"He isn't here." the panther replied. "He's gone for a long time."

"Just do yourself a favor and come the hell out." Shamir said as he folded his arms.

"I suggest you just go away, before I crack your skull bare open." Ratoveros threatened the jaguar.

"And I think you should still come out." Shamir huffed.

"Ugh, fine, you prick." Ratoveros replied as he finally opened the door, and his face fell flat at the sight of the jaguar, who was staring at the dark panther before him. "You...! How dare you show your face in here?!"

"I dare to ask how you're still **unpunished**." the jaguar's eyes narrowed in anger. "You have done enough harm to me, and jeopardized everyone's lives! This is not what a Royal Guard would do!"

"Hahahahaha!" Ratoveros threw himself into a laughing fit, as he thought the jaguar outright **irresponsible** for trying to pin him as a scapegoat for his own ends. "Are you joking right now? You're still weak, like I left you..." the panther paused, "...and yet, you still think I've jeopardized their lives. Sorry, Shamir, but you're still an **idiot**."

"Let me guess, I am an idiot because I don't want to heed your path anymore?" the jaguar said as his eyes turned from their calm azure to a ruby red.

" **My path** brought you here, right? You wouldn't be here if I wasn't your..." Ratoveros started, before a loud roar turned him somewhat silent.

 **"SILENCE!"** Shamir suddenly roared. "It's enough, time for you to pay for all that you did to the Royal Guard! For all that you did to everyone, for the lack of hope you brought upon us!"

 _"This will surely be interesting."_ the panther thought as, with a click of his right paw's fingers, donned the battle armor and held his bow and arrows. _"It's time to set the cub back in his place!"_

 _"Time to bring justice."_ Shamir thought as he unsheathed one of his Sabers, and grasped the handle tightly, looking at the other feline before him.

 **"You will regret this defiance, Shamir."** the panther assured him as he narrowed his eyes, playing with the string of his bow.

Electricity started to dance around Shamir's saber as his focus was on his enemy, his **former** master - the one who was responsible for most of the monsters' lost hope - while Ratoveros stretched the bow's string with three arrows at the ready, their tip coated in dark energy, like Parvos' magic was. They seemed to eye each other as time stood still, waiting for one of them to give in and attack, and throughout the Underground, this particular surge of magic could be felt to a deep level, letting everyone know their hope was about to be restored...

 **(New Home, before the battle)**

"Feel that, Tori?" Asgore asked, as he felt a strange disturbance within the monsters' SOULS.

"Yes, Gorey. Something is going on..." Toriel paused as she brought her paw to her chest, "I can feel two monsters' energy coursing through our SOULS."

"This..." the old king said as he looked towards the forests of Snowdin, "can only have an outcome."

"No..." she said, looking in the same direction as he did, "it can have two outcomes. Depending on the monsters..."

All they could do was just stand and...

Hope that something good would come out of this.

 **(Sans' Lab, Snowdin, before the battle)**

"woah, alph, what got into you, honey?" Sans said, caught in surprise by the kiss Alphys gave him.

"I..." she blushed, caught in the passion, "This surge of magic...don't you feel it? It filled me with courage, with..."

"...determination." Sans completed her.

"Wonder what is going on, though..." Alphys looked at the skeleton before her. "...I've never felt this before. I hope Dad is okay."

"you mean...shamir?" Sans' eyesockets widened in surprise, "so, you two really look to him as your father."

"Undyne does that, mostly. I just tag along, because he really tries hard." Alphys said, sheepishly.

"give him a chance. he's actually a very kind-hearted monster under that mask." the skeleton sighed. "i dunno why he keeps fooling himself like that."

"I know that, after yesterday...something changed within him." Alphys said. "I saw him thinking...more than usual."

"hey..." he cupped her face, "you look cuter like that, or is it just too hot in here?"

"Bonehead...you're the one on fire." Alphys retorted as they went back to their usual make-out sessions.

 **(Gerson's Shop, before the battle)**

Undyne was sitting in the old turtle's shop as she bought a few Crab Apples, and she saw Gerson looking a little troubled about something, as the turtle's healthy eye narrowed in some anticipation, he felt something that she didn't, at that moment. "Ol' geezer? What's goin' on with you?"

"Eh? Somethin' is seriously riled up, young Undyne. Didn't you feel that?" Gerson looked at her in curiosity, his head a little tilted.

"...Courage. That's all I felt." Undyne admitted as her gaze stopped on the shop's entrance.

"There's a little more to this, young one..." he sighed, "two monsters are fighting."

"Who could it be..." the fish monster thought as a frown formed on her face.

"...We'll find out, eventually." The turtle placed one of his paws on Undyne's shoulder.

 **(Feline Royal Guard HQ, before the battle)**

"Ribras," Rasha tilted her head towards the lion, "do you have any idea where the Captain is?"

"No..." the lion shook his head, "he didn't tell me anything. And he was supposed to arrive an hour ago. Why do you ask?"

"Because Parvos is absent too." his wife said, as she sat on the large bench, in the sidelines.

"You don't think he...!"

"I don't think anything, Ribras," the lioness folded her arms, "but it's obvious their fight isn't over."

"This doesn't look good at all."

* * *

Ratoveros released the three dark-tipped arrows towards Shamir, as the jaguar parried them with ease, pieces of wood surrounding his position. The panther wasn't going to let him win, and started shooting arrows after arrows, unbridled fury written on his face, as Shamir parried another wave of arrows, and barely dodged a third one that threatened to pierce him, as the arrows managed to leave a few holes through the fabric of his robes. This wasn't quite fair, Ratoveros was a ranged specialist, while Shamir was a swordsman, and he didn't accept such a tactic.

"Unsheathe your sword, bastard!" the jaguar bellowed, as Ratoveros left out a low chuckle.

"Fine, cub. We'll fight by your rules..." the panther's eyes narrowed, "...until one of us dies."

Shamir saw the panther unsheathing his close-combat sword, a jagged blade meant to cut through enemies and cause them grave wounds, but the jaguar didn't falter at the sight - the real battle was about to begin, and neither would give up as the stakes were quite high - for Shamir, it meant getting back his honor and prove the Underground how wrong Ratoveros has been, while for the panther, it was a case of severe insubordination, of an apprentice that dared to disobey his master. And Ratoveros didn't treat traitors kindly, that much Shamir knew.

"You're a traitor, Shamir. I thought I could trust you..." the panther thought as his blade reflected the jaguar's aggressive stance, "...but all you did was **defy** me!"

"And I'll defy you, no matter if it costs me my life." Shamir gritted his teeth. "My family opened up my eyes to your corruption!"

Ratoveros laughed at the pathetic words of the jaguar, "Your family? They were always so weak, so vulnerable! If I were king, the barrier would be already gone and humanity would be destroyed! But no, I'm just a poor Royal Guard, meant to protect them. I'd rather kill them than protect them!"

Shamir shook his head, trying very hard not to burn the panther to a crisp and end everything there, and shot his red eyes towards Ratoveros, ready to lunge at him. **"Say one word more about my family..."** the jaguar growled, **"...your death will be swifter than you thought."**

The jaguar ran towards Ratoveros in a furious attack, a vertical swipe aimed for the panther's head, but the darker feline parried the blow and pushed Shamir back, starting to strike left and right as metal on metal clashed. It went on for at least five minutes of back-and-forth parries, before Ratoveros kicked Shamir away with a dark energy ball in his chest, crippling the jaguar as he hitched his breath to not lose conscience, and replied with a powerful ball of electricity aimed at Ratoveros, burning the panther's robes on the left side.

"What's wrong, Shamir? Can't keep up?" Ratoveros taunted him as he aimed for the jaguar's right arm with a vertical swipe, but Shamir dodged the strike in the last moment, a large gash forming itself on his right arm.

 _"He thinks I'll yield at any moment..."_ the jaguar thought as he held on his right arm, an angry glare directed towards Ratoveros, and shook away his pain. While his arm hurt, he wasn't going to give up, not when he would avenge everything Ratoveros did upon his friends and family, and tightened his grasp upon his saber.

"Actually," Shamir grinned through his pain, "I can keep up!" and then lunged towards the panther with a powerful strike, but Ratoveros evaded it and the jaguar's saber clashed against the hard pavement. The panther then started shooting sets of dark lightning, forcing Shamir to duck and jump away from the strikes, thinking how he could finish this battle in his advantage, before getting more cuts that would cripple him, while his opponent kept shooting lightning towards him. _"The bastard keeps his reserves as much as I do..."_ Shamir mused as he could see the insanity in Ratoveros' eyes, the panther wanted to **exhaust** him before dealing the final blow - while the jaguar was willing to deal the final blow only when an opening was provided. A few lightning strikes made their way in mid-air, forcing the jaguar to parry them with his sword, or with a well-timed punch, burning his paws in the process, and Shamir made a backflip to avoid yet another set of strikes.

"That cut won't be the only one, **cub**." Ratoveros said as he surprised the yellow-furred feline from behind, aiming to slash him, but Shamir managed to dodge right in time, the slash cutting through his robe. _"Thank heavens, the Delta rune is safe!"_ Shamir thought as he began holding his breath in expectation, while the dark panther kept taunting him, in hopes of taking advantage of his ill temper.

"You afraid I'm going to kill you?" Ratoveros laughed, "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

But Shamir released a powerful roar, loud enough to tear down the walls of the houses in that alley, and enough to be heard through the Dreemurrs' castle. The roar, for him, meant a beacon of strength, of hope, of honor above all else, and everyone else could feel that too, but Ratoveros wasn't intimidated in the slightest by the jaguar's attempts.

"Is this supposed to be serious, soldier?" the panther looked unfazed, ready to deal another jab towards the somewhat weakened jaguar.

" **This is what real honor is! And I'm going to kill you with no hesitation!** " Shamir said as he started slashing towards Ratoveros with furious swipes, the latter finding it harder and harder to avoid the jaguar's attacks, as jagged blade came clashing down against saber, until Shamir grew tired of their continuous fight. **"Time to end** **this!"** Shamir roared as he unsheathed his other saber, and charged them with electricity. **"You are dead for me!"**

 _ **"Jaguar's Fury!"**_ the yellow-furred feline bellowed in the alleyway, and the strength of the X-shaped attack was too strong for the panther before him, as Ratoveros' puny dark energy shield didn't protect him enough, his willpower was gone, while Shamir's fury and desire to exact his retribution increased the strength of his attack.

* * *

The battle ended with the panther turned to a pile of dust, while Shamir was panting with exhaustion, and held onto his wounded arm. He collapsed on his knees, able to give out just another roar before losing his conscience.

 _"I...I did it."_


	9. Crumbling Walls and A Dining Disaster

**Me: This is a special drabble.  
**

 **Shamir: Why?**

 **Me: You'll see why.**

 **Undyne: Fuhuhu! Shock finally writes something fun!**

 **Me: ...Okay, no. It's not completely FUNky.  
**

 **Sans: this looks FISHy. i doubt it's going to be...**

 **Shamir: ...dropping the BASS?**

 **Undyne; FINISH THAT PUN AND I SWEAR I'LL CRUSH YOU BOTH. *Undyne supplexes a boulder, one of her eyes twitching in fury***

 **Sans: ...shamir, that bass is done with DRUMS.**

 **Undyne: ...I'LL CRUSH YOUR BONES TO PIECES! *Undyne throws the boulder towards Sans***

 **Sans: ...welp. bye. *warps out***

 **Shamir: That wasn't necessary, Undyne. I know he's annoying and I...  
**

 **Me: ...Shush, buddy. Undyne's just sensitive about fish puns. My apologies, Undyne. *hugs both Undyne and Shamir*  
**

 **Processing...**

 **Loading Drabble.**

 **Start!**

* * *

 **CRUMBLING WALLS AND A DINING DISASTER  
**

It was a quiet day in Snowdin, and Sans was napping out as usual, while Papyrus was preparing breakfast for the two. The scientist skeleton was asleep on the large couch in the living room, and as always, dreaming of his beautiful lizard girlfriend, his legs twitching under the fluffy blanket Papyrus covered him with. For Papyrus, this routine was never changing - with the exception when Shamir came down for a few spaghetti, but even then, staying alongside the jaguar was somewhat boring - for he and Sans never stopped dishing out bad cat puns, or even talking about books the jaguar might've read.

Today was such a day, for Shamir's light taps on the large wooden door could be heard, and Papyrus, after carefully setting the breakfast table for three, opened the door. There was something changed in the jaguar's usual expression - his gruff demeanor looked like it vanished, giving out an aura of calm and, in some places, doubt - making Papyrus wonder what could've brought the feline this early here.

"SANS. WAKE UP, SHAMIR IS HERE." Papyrus tossed his brother off the couch, while the latter smiled awkwardly.

"heya, buddy. sorry, i've been sleeping again." Sans shifted his gaze towards the kitchen. "heh."

"It's alright, Sans." Shamir waved his right paw lazily. "I hoped I could spend some time with you two for a while."

Sans picked up a very strange emotion from Shamir's voice, and he could hardly believe that the great feline of the Underground was **worried** about something. _"it's very unlike shamir to be concerned over something..."_ the skeleton thought, _"...well, apart from the safety of the underground. can't blame the guy, he is trying."_ He then smiled casually towards the feline as he sat on his chair, Papyrus seconding him, while Shamir sat down the last, and they looked at the plates of hot spaghetti before them - Sans took care to pour some ketchup on his, much to Papyrus's annoyance - Shamir started to slowly eat the food before him.

"you okay, shamir?" the skeleton asked as he noticed Shamir was not extremely interested in food.

"...No." the jaguar shot his azure eyes towards his friend, as a frown formed on his snout.

"wanna tell me what happened?" Sans tilted his head and pushed the spaghetti aside.

"SANS, WHY WON'T YOU..." Papyrus's eyesockets widened, but the scientist skeleton shushed his brother.

"...let him speak. somethin' troubles him."

"It's not what I did that troubles me," Shamir sighed, "it's the aftershock that makes me worried."

"eh? don't tell me you..."

"Yes." the jaguar looked away as he stopped eating. "I fought Ratoveros."

The two skeletons' jaws dropped the moment Shamir said who he fought, and Sans was surprised that his friend actually got the courage to stand for himself, but Shamir wasn't sure on how to explain everything to his parents - after all, what proof could he bring that Ratoveros wasn't the right leader? His concerns were doubled by the fact that his mindset was so easily twisted, and he couldn't let that happen, no matter the circumstance.

"and...what happened? all i can remember was a surge of magic, and then..." Sans blushed, "...and then alphys' face all over me."

"I..." the jaguar's paws were slightly trembling with both fury and disappointment, "I killed him."

"THIS IS WORTH OF A SHOW! SHAMIR FIGHTS THE ROYAL GUARD'S LEADER IN A FIGHT TO THE DEATH, ULTIMATELY KILLING THE LATTER."

"paps..." Sans sighed, "...if my puns are terrible, your headlines make it even worse."

"Still..." Shamir said, closing his eyes, "I have to come clean about it."

* * *

 **[New Home]**

"You did **what**?!" Toriel's eyes were alit with flames, as she looked at her son.

"What was right." Shamir sighed. "He was a real threat to us all!"

"Threat or no threat, you should've talked first, my son." Asgore said.

"Reasoning was out of the question." the jaguar's fists pounded in the large stone table, making a few cracks. "He put me through such suffering, and spoke ill of you each time he had the opportunity."

"You're aware I must give you a punishment for killing one of our own..." the kingly monster said, as he started pacing back and forth. "And I must set an example out of you."

"Yes," Shamir's head hung low, imagining what kind of punishment would he receive.

 _"Twenty years in helping out Gerson, maybe..."_ a first thought ran through the jaguar's mind, _"Or perhaps, thirty years in cleaning the garbage dump..."_ But he never expected such a punishment - his mind was brought back to reality when he heard the two royal monsters decreeing it officially - the Dreemurrs hoped that this could appease the monsters' desire to perhaps see Shamir killed for his crime.

 _"...You shall help Undyne and Alphys in their path. And you shall live in their house, I do not wish to hear your protests."_

His eyes widened as the two monsters said those words, and he still couldn't believe that his parents thought of this. It was completely unexpected, it was **lenient** , as opposed to the outright killing his father would perform on criminal monsters - and he secretly thanked his father for giving him a punishment he could carry on - while the monsters still eyed him as if he was a clear disgrace to the Underground. He sighed as the stares felt incredibly hurtful, and knocked on the door of the two young female monsters' home.

* * *

 **[Undyne and Alphys' Home]**

 _"...You shall help Undyne and Alphys in their path."_

His parents' voices resounded in his mind, as he couldn't help but feel a great amount of shame and self-hatred, and wanted to atone as much as possible for all of his mistakes. His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Undyne, who lightly greeted him and gave a curious look as she saw the small travelling bag Shamir was holding in one of his paws.

"I thought I could move in with you..." he could reply to her gaze. "...on a permanent basis."

"It's fine by me, Captain."

"Please, don't call me like that." he placed a paw over her shoulder, catching her off-guard, "I am just Shamir. No need to be so formal with me."

"It's funny, most monsters say you're arrogant." she smiled as she pushed away the jaguar's paw, "Let's just hope that these are only words."

"...I understand." he blinked, "You're still upset I haven't..."

"No, Shamir." she said, leading the way, "In fact, you're teaching me a very important thing."

"Which is...?" he tilted his head in curiosity, as they stopped before a large white door.

"Patience."

The brief exchange was enough to puzzle the jaguar - he pushed her away constantly, and yet, she was patient - a part of him was somewhat uneasy, as she proved her strength well enough, but another couldn't help wondering if he could learn anything from her. _"This is certainly strange..."_ he thought as distinct pitter-patter echoed down the hallway, giving out their owner - Alphys - who looked at the jaguar in curiosity, hoping that Undyne had a reasonable explanation why he was going to stay in the guest room.

 _"_ _ _help..._ _in their path._ "_

"He's going to stay with us for real, Alphys." her sister said, as she opened the door.

"Why? Doesn't he have a home?" the lizard tilted her head in questioning.

"He wanted to stay with us. And I'm not goin' to refuse him." Undyne said.

"And besides..." the jaguar let a small smile form, "...I want to bond with you."

"Sure you're not lying?" Alphys folded her arms in disbelief.

"I'm not." he sighed. "Please,...give me a chance."

* * *

 **[One evening...]**

"knock-knock."

"who's there?"

"fish."

"fish who?"

"wish you were here with me."

"Sans, that was..." Alphys chuckled.

"...terrible, but punny." the small skeleton grinned.

The two were latched in their embrace, a little blushing, and then broke the hug as Sans showed her an envelope. Alphys' eyes shone with curiosity and took the white paper from his bony hands, tearing the envelope, revealing a reservation for a classy diner Muffet watched over in her spare time, alongside Grillby.

"Wow..." she blushed redder, "So...we're for a night out? I can't wait to see Muffet and Grillby's Diner..."

"so, ready, honey?"

"...Sure." she said, her face a full crimson red.

They warped in front of the diner, which looked extremely small and cozy on such a chilly night - and Alphys could see quite a lot of monsters in there, even the Royal Dreemurrs - she felt a little at ease seeing the two goat monsters. Muffet also waved towards them, both replying with awkward smiles, while Sans was busy leading his girlfriend towards the separate table just for the two of them - the atmosphere was outright romantic, if there was any good word to describe the diner at this particular hour - and Sans knew that it must've been the Dreemurrs idea, the candles alit with gentle flames on each table, as if they were romantics at heart themselves.

"What can I get for you two, lovebirds? Ahuhuhu~" Muffet said as she looked at Sans and Alphys with curiosity.

"i'll get the usual. be sure to ketchup with me." Sans grinned as the bassist gave out a rimshot.

"Ahuhuhu~ I've mustard the pace to keep with you." Muffet replied. "And what about you, Alphys?"

"I'll take...a nice salad with vinegar dressing. I want to try something new."

"Ahuhu~ I'll see what I can do about it, dearie." she gently blinked with all of her eyes towards the lizard.

Minutes of awkward silence went down between Sans and Alphys, as they were struggling with starting a conversation - making out was easy, but talking was out of their league - and Alphys was also very nervous around crowds, even if she had Sans with her. The other monsters didn't mind them too much, they were too deep in their own issues and talks, but Sans could often catch a faint wink from Asgore, as if...encouraging him? _"tch, i must be seeing things. asgore's not usually that bold, he's mostly henpecked by tori."_ the skeleton mused as he beamed a grin towards the kingly monster, _"...but it's not like he doesn't enjoy it. he loves her so much."_

Alphys was also worried, and could catch a small heart of fire igniting from Toriel's paws. _"What the..."_ she thought, but the moment she saw Toriel's gaze, everything clicked into place. _"I have to be stronger than this...I'm far too skittish."_

"So, Sans, till the grub comes up..." she began talking, "How's Shamir progressing with his scientific studies?"

"ya mean, with stargazing?" he chuckled lightly. "i'm glad that the crystals above are shaped just like the surface's stars...he seems to really like learning about them."

"You could say he's CATching up with you?" Alphys dished out a pun, a smile forming on her face.

"he didn't read enought LITTERature on the subject." Sans retorted, still chuckling.

"Still, things are going PURRfect." she started laughing heartily.

"you've got to be KITTing me."

Every monster started laughing at the puns the two were dishing at each other, even Muffet, who tried so hard not to spill the plates she carefully carried around. As she placed the two plates, the giggling spider girl dished out another pun, "Your puns are certainly enterTAILing.", making them both laugh with glee, but Alphys couldn't help notice just how contagious Sans' puns were.

"This is imPAWsible! Sans' puns are far too hilarious, and he's turning everyone into a SANSational comedian!"

"part of my charm, honey." he snapped his fingers in a cool manner. "they're too PAWerful to resist."

"Okay, stop, stop," Alphys laughed so hard she could feel her belly hurt. "You're making me spill my salad!"

"sorry. i'll make sure to COOL it down."

"SANS!" she said as a large stain of oil fell on her dress. "I told you..."

"sorry, sorry!" he sighed in defeat. "i'll invent something that gets that stain away in no time."

They were still eating in silence, exchanging a few glances at one another and drinking an excellent wine - recommended by Grillby, no less - their evening was indeed hilarious and enjoyable. It felt like they were taking a great step ahead with their relationship, and even the other monsters were impressed at how good they were going along - but their evening was still far from over.

Muffet just let in two new workers for the diner, but she was aware of who they were exactly - she was a fan of pranking Sans as much as the two - and left them as waiters for the remainder of the evening. Grillby was also aware of this, and he thought what the two workers planned was indeed a very good revenge for all the times Sans placed his debts on a tab, while the other monsters were quite unaware about what was going to happen next.

The slender waiter just came down with two large bowls of soup, but their clumsiness tossed one of the bowls right on Sans' black pants, making a total mess out of it. "Sorry, sorry! I'll ask for my colleague to clean you up!" her voice said as the larger waiter came down, tossing the other bowl on Alphys's beautiful black dress.

"you've GOAT to be kidding me, guys." he grimaced at the sight of the two waiters.

"Sorry, we'll get onto it..." the slender waiter apologized, while the larger one apologized towards Alphys.

Just as they were about to scramble out, the larger waiter tripped and fell on the table, breaking it in two, while the slender one was somewhat grinning, making Alphys a little annoyed. "Look, we were having a great evening...Thanks for your service, but it will be enough." she said, but it seemed like the slender waiter had other ideas in mind.

"FOOD FIGHT!" she said as she started throwing with a pie in Alphys.

"Food fight!" the larger one said as he threw a bowl of spinach towards Sans.

No sooner than that, everyone joined in the food fight, making a huge mess in the diner - they were lucky that Muffet had eight hands, otherwise she would've refused the two - but Alphys was not amused with what was going on right now.

"STOP!" she bellowed. "I was having a very nice evening until now! Who do you think you are for ruining..." she paused as the cap on the slender waiter fell off, giving out a flashy red hair, which could only belong to...

 **"UNDYNE!"** Alphys roared as her glasses fogged out. "What in the Underground's name do **you** think you're doing?!"

"are you REELy serious about this, undyne? a food fight? in the middle of our date?"

"That had better not been a pun!" Undyne retorted, "or I will supplex your bones right in the soup!"

"welp, that look like it's a SARDINEty." Sans dished out another pun, visibly confused by the situation.

"Why have you gone through this? Did you plan on **embarassing me?** " Alphys said through her teeth.

"I didn't want to lose my little sister, that's all..." Undyne shamefully admitted. "...So I thought that, if..."

 **"If you ruin my fun I will quit seeing Sans?** Who do you think you're **kidding** in here?" the small lizard was ready to shock her sister.

"that COD've gone better..."

"Sans, shut up." Shamir revealed himself.

" **YOU TOO?** Are you two serious?!" Alphys looked with furious eyes towards the jaguar, and then turned towards Undyne. **"You and I have something to talk about, Undyne. Now. We'll warp home."**

"welp, i'm out too, shamir. i still don't understand why did you do this." Sans said as he warped out.

 _"I'm about to witness a screaming match city in the house..."_


	10. Paws of a Father

**Me: This kinda continues... *loud bickering in the distance***

 **Shamir: ...the precedent drabble. *sighs***

 **Me: Shamir, do you think you can handle this?**

 **Shamir: Take note. It's the first time I'm honest with myself...*exhales* I HAVE NO IDEA!**

 **Me: ...Something tells me you'll find a way to handle it.**

 **Shamir: If you say so. *gently rubs his forehead* I frankly doubt it.**

 **Me: I'm sorry that the drabble looks so short.  
**

 **Drabble...commence!  
**

* * *

 **PAWS OF A FATHER**

Their argument could be heard throughout Waterfall, and while Shamir shook his head in disbelief, he knew that in some way or another their dispute had to cease. He was also feeling a little guilty for ruining Alphys's evening out, but he wanted to bond with Undyne in some way - and not while training - while also trying to bond with Alphys. _"Arguing like this will not help, and it will lead to something worse."_ the jaguar thought as his hind legs were leaving clear pawprints in the humid grass. _"If anything, I have to stop it before it escalates into a full-fledged fight."_

He stopped in front of the large door, the verbal blows still going on until he pounded somewhat heavy on the door - only to distrupt the bickering -, and folded his arms in expectation. His face showed a myriad of emotions, like sadness, anger, and disbelief - but only for a moment, as he wasn't willing to put these feelings upfront, - and quickly buried them under a stern, but somewhat neutral expression, an expression Undyne was greeted with as she opened the door. Her face betrayed sadness and frustration, as the argument, so far, led nowhere - there wasn't any possibility for the two sisters to concede - but Shamir was willing to find a way to make them stop this nonsensical fight they were having.

"Hi, Shamir." Undyne said, with a hint of sorrow in her voice. "Come in."

"I could hear your argument throughout Waterfall." he deadpanned. "I believe I have heard every single word you two have exchanged, since I left the Royal Guards' quarters."

"I'm sorry for that." the fish monster apologized, "We...are not done yet."

"I have to bear the brunt of Alphys' argument too, Undyne. After all, we both pulled the prank on them..." Shamir sighed. "I admit, a part of me wanted a little payback for all the times Sans pranked me. But, seeing them like this..."

"Yeah." Undyne hung her head low in shame, while the jaguar couldn't resist seeing her so heartbroken.

"Let's just focus on making this right, okay?" Shamir said with a calm voice.

The two of them walked in silence down the large hallway, up until the living room, where Alphys stood on their purple couch with her arms folded. Her eyes set on the jaguar in anger as he entered the room with Undyne, fury bottling itself up in her gaze, while Shamir was more preoccupied in taking a seat for himself in the opposite armchair. The small lizard stared at him in fury, but the jaguar wasn't flinching at all before the sight - he knew that Alphys was ready to serve him the same arguments she dished out on Undyne - and raised his paw to silence her from uttering those words.

"Listen to me, Alphys," he started saying in a baritonal, yet stern voice, "I have heard enough since I came down from the quarters. **Every single word** , and while I am aware you are willing to dish out the same reasons for why our prank was completely stupid..." Shamir paused, "I am here to call for a truce."

"Why would you ask for this?" she said, anger audible in her tone, "You two have done the most **irresponsible** thing I've ever seen!"

"Undyne was simply afraid of losing you," Shamir shook his head, "and I don't know why she said that - but her fear is a serious one."

"No, it's completely **stupid**! That would've never happened, she knows how much I love her!"

"She is still very much **afraid** , even if she tries to play it cool and stay strong." the jaguar raised his paw in a defensive manner. "Please, your fighting needs to cease. There will be no solution if you keep screaming at each other, blaming one another for everything. To each, their own responsability, and I expect to see you sharing some deep apologies to one another. You are sisters..." he paused, "If you are going to fight over petty things, you're going to forget how it is to forgive."

"Don't expect me to forgive either of you too soon." Alphys huffed. "And you," she stared at Undyne, "you're lucky his words got through to me."

"I have something to tell you both." Shamir said. "During the past days I've been spending with you..." he paused, placing his paw over the blue Delta Rune, "I feel like I have grown a couple notches closer to you. But it's a small progress I cherish with all my heart."

"Why, Shamir?" Alphys raised an eyebrow in questioning.

"Because you two are starting to melt my heart and..." he looked away as he tried not to lose his composure, "...and I often see you as my daughters."

"You do?" Undyne's eyes widened in surprise. "Since when, eh?"

"Let's just say it's been a while since the idea came into my mind and heart." the jaguar let a smile worm on his face.

"Well, **Dad** , maybe you can keep Undyne from pranking me further?" Alphys chuckled, her anger still present, but not like before.

"Of course, Alphy." he replied casually, "Come here, dear." Shamir added as he opened his large, furred arms.

At first, Alphys was quite reluctant to give in to the offer of hug Shamir called out, but she had to concede - his words really hit home, figuring she must've been a little too harsh with Undyne, - and walked in the hug, as the jaguar nuzzled the top of her head, while Undyne was content to watch everything unfolding with a smile on her face. A part of her was grateful that he was able to tone down her sister's rage with good words, instead of shouting angrily like she did, and another was gloating a little at the thought he could be their father, even if most monsters were not completely agreeing with what he did sometimes.

Shamir broke the hug for a moment, to take Undyne in a hug too, making the latter's gaze soften from the emotion, as the jaguar was giving out an aura of calm and peace. The two sisters exchanged a harsh look towards one another, aware that their fight would spark again should anything of a similar caliber happen, while Shamir was somehow ready to take in tow the idea that he will be a father figure for the two.

 _"They are smart and give out everything they can to progress in their way..."_ he thought as he kept them in his embrace, _"while Undyne is learning how to become a better warrior, Alphys tries her best to become a better scientist. I trust Sans on the latter...as well as the fact that he is with her. I have nothing against them dating, as long as neither go overboard, don't they?"_ his smile widened as he broke the hug.

"So..." Undyne chuckled, "you feel okay with calling you... **Daddy**?"

"It's somewhat curious for me," Shamir admitted, a little embarassed, "but with daughters like you, I am okay with it."

"Good to know." Alphys said, as she smiled towards the jaguar, "That means you really want to look after us."

"Of course I do," the jaguar said, honesty ringing in his voice. "we are family, after all."

And so, Shamir had a family of his own, making them realize that their minor disputes could be healthy, but they shouldn't make out of them a huge deal.

His experience in parenthood was just beginning, and he was **ready** for it...

 _"It's_ _a small progress I cherish with all my heart..."_


	11. True Meaning of Fear

**Me: This looks...**

 **Shamir: ...Really interesting. *rubs chin in thought***

 **Me: I know, it is quite curious.**

 **Undyne: Dad, what's going on?**

 **Shamir: Undyne, join us, this is something you could learn too. *pats a free spot on the couch***

 **Me: Okay, I'm starting the drabble!**

 **Dreemurr Drabble...**

 **...Start!**

* * *

 **TRUE MEANING OF FEAR  
**

Shamir and Asgore were standing at the large table in the kitchen, while Toriel was out for a few errands in the capital. The jaguar looked at his father, as if almost studying him, trying to understand how he could balance the authority of being a King with the nicer side he had, while Asgore was content to smile at him and sip his Golden Flower Tea. Shamir then returned to his own cup of tea, sipping the warm liquid that made his nerves feel a little unwinded - he needed that, after all that has gone underway with Undyne and Alphys - and Asgore told him that being a father to the two will never be an easy path, but that he is sure the jaguar will handle it just well.

The kingly monster placed his cup of tea on the table, as he noticed Shamir was fiddling with his paws, _"Something is on his mind since we sat at the table,"_ Asgore thought for a moment, _"I wonder what could make him so agitated."_ he added as he tried to observe him for a while before breaking the silence between them. The jaguar, though, was concerned on how to address a particular question - it was somewhat tied with his fight - and didn't know if it was the right time to ask something like that. _"Maybe he will refuse, given the fact I..."_ Shamir thought, as a sigh escaped him, _"But I have to know more."_

"Shamir?" Asgore called out, "What is it, my son?"

"I..." the jaguar said as he stopped fiddling with his paws, "I have never asked you something, and I don't know if I can address it."

"Whatever it is, I will gladly answer it." the goat monster said as he placed his paws on the table.

"Can you..." Shamir placed one of his paws on the table, "Can you tell me more about Ratoveros?"

Asgore's smile somewhat deflated at the question Shamir uttered - of all the things, he wanted to know more about the panther - and he rose from the table, shaking his head and started pacing around the kitchen. _"Why is he asking about this?"_ Asgore thought as he looked at his son, whose expression didn't change from that frown since he came down here, _"I thought that he didn't want to hear anything about the panther."_ and the large goat monster saw no other option but to learn why did his son inquire on such a thing.

"Why do you ask me about him, though?" Asgore paced around as his thoughts were still running.

"I want to understand why he was like..." the jaguar sighed, "like **that.** "

"Oh. You want to know more about his past, don't you?" Asgore sighed as he sat back at the table.

"Yes. Maybe I..." Shamir shifted his gaze towards the living room, "Maybe I can learn something from here."

"I thought you..." the king said, choosing his words carefully, "you didn't want to hear anything anymore after I punished you."

Shamir then explained it was Undyne and Alphys' quarrel from last night that sparked the question in his mind - it wasn't like he could've avoided the memories of his own arguments with Ratoveros - but he also didn't want to remain with doubts over **why** the panther was acting like this towards him, always speaking ill of his family. The jaguar wanted, more than anything, to figure out a better way for himself. _"I can now see most of his words were merely lies..."_

"I also wonder why he always called you **weak**." Shamir sighed, "I wanted so much to kill him right there as he said that."

"Well, then," Asgore said, "you will hear a very interesting tale from Ratoveros' past..."

* * *

 **(One day, in the Past)**

It was a new day in the Underground, and King Asgore was consulting himself with Gerson about Ratoveros' progress as a Royal Captain, while Toriel was discussing something with Sans the Scientist and his brother, Papyrus. The kingly monster was often frowning, as Gerson didn't seem exactly happy with how Ratoveros was acting as a Royal Captain, given the fact the latter trained him for years now - the old turtle was a standing relic of the First War, and he couldn't accept such reckless behavior from the panther - and Ratoveros didn't show one ounce of respect for him, although Gerson kept the facade of giving him respect.

"Look, King Fluffybuns, I don't exactly like to break the news to ya," the old hero said as he supported himself in a sturdy cane, "but you are somewhat aware that the panther genuinely can't handle the position."

"He certainly seemed adequate for the leading position, as none of the current Royal Guards disagreed," Asgore said, "but I wonder if he will allow Shamir to join the Guard. My son has made his intentions pretty clear."

"For real? You want to throw a Dreemurr to 'im...? You have no idea what kind of a feline he is." Gerson huffed. "Only I know just how hard I tried to train 'im."

"I understand, old friend, and I am grateful you managed to make him a somewhat suitable warrior. But in what concerns my son's decision, I am in no authority to contest his wishes."

"I jus' hope you won't regret this decision, King Fluffybuns. **Ratoveros cannot be trusted.** " the turtle said as he walked away slowly, leaving the king to his own ideas.

"i'm gonna hafta agree with the old geezer." Sans cued in as he heard Gerson's words. "there's somethin' about that feline that worries me."

"LET US HOPE SHAMIR CAN DO A BETTER JOB THAN HIM..." Papyrus said, completing his brother. "FOR THE MOMENT, THE PANTHER WILL LEAD EVERYTHING."

"I worry about Shamir, he is still somewhat unprepared for what awaits him." Toriel voiced her concerns, as Asgore looked at her with gentle eyes.

 **(Royal Guards' HQ, in the Past)**

The panther's eyes were shining with pride as he looked at Ribras, Rasha, Lesser Cat and Greater Cat training with dilligence, while Parvos, who was a young emissary for the Guard, brought in Asgore's letter about Shamir. _"What is that miserable cretin thinking? That I will take in his son with no protests? I want to see what the jaguar is capable of before taking him in."_ Ratoveros thought as he skimmed through the letter, and wrote a hasty reply. _"He won't have an easy life with me, I don't obey a pushover's orders."_

"Did you hear? A new recruit might be joining us soon," Ribras said as he sparred against Rasha.

"I hope the recruit will be a kind-hearted monster, with impressive values." Rasha smiled.

Ratoveros then laid on the campaign bed he had, as he wasn't going to do anything else for the moment - the other guards could handle themselves just fine - and his mind went back and forth over the decision the two Royal Dreemurrs decreed, as anger was written all over his face, displeased with the fact that a Dreemurr was going to be under his tutelage. He hated the Royal family a lot, and always grumbled about how King Asgore was a weak king, so for him to train the jaguar cub was a new reason to be **pissed** at. _"I really don't want to train a damned Dreemurr."_

Asgore went down at the Guard's HQ, hoping he will find some understanding in the felines for his son - he was a little concerned about what Gerson told him, and his heavy steps echoed down Waterfall - making the four Royal Guards and their emissary wait in anticipation at what their king was about to tell them. Ribras and Rasha stopped their spar, while Lesser Cat and Greater Cat readied their sword, respectively spear, in a ceremonial position.

"Your Majesty." all of them said with one voice.

"Stand at ready, my Guards." he replied, lifting one of his paws. "I need to speak with your captain."

"I am here, Your Highness." Ratoveros said with a little anger in his voice. "What is it that you need?"

"I wish to discuss about Shamir, Captain." Asgore said as he folded his arms. "I assume you are aware of his intentions, yes?"

 _"Damnit, of all the things...he wants to talk about his stupid son. At least mine is smart enough to obey me, and do what I say."_ Ratoveros thought as, in turn, also folded his arms, his eyes shining with displeasure, almost willing to tackle the king right there and now. He was pondering whether to say anything to the one he often called a pushover, and a good-for-nothing king of the Underground, until he reluctantly answered the Dreemurr's question. "Yes, I am. So, why did you tread your royal paws up until here, King?"

Asgore shook his head in disappointment before answering the panther's question, "I came down here because I want to make sure my son is well greeted, should he prevail your tests."

"Prevail?" Ratoveros laughed, "You're a complete pushover, King. I don't think your son will ever be a Royal Guardsman. For you see..." the panther drew his jagged sword before the king, "I do not take **pushovers** in my Guard!"

"So, that's how it will be?" Asgore tilted his head in curiosity. "Let us see just how true is your thought, Captain."

Asgore summoned his Trident and twirled it furiously, insulted by the fact he considered every member of the Dreemurr family weak, and he was about to prove its' falseness, silent fury entering the large king's eyes. While Ratoveros was smiling in arrogance at the thought he was strong enough to topple the king and claim the rule for his own, banishing Toriel in the process even - he wanted to break the barrier more than anyone, and the Dreemurrs' way was definitely **not efficient** **-** and the Royal Guards were shocked as this moment would settle the fate of the Underground forever.

"Heh. We'll see if **I** can lead the Underground better!" Ratoveros said, arrogance filling his gaze, as he lunged towards the king.

Asgore blocked the attack with efficiency, pushing the feline back, and then started swiping, forcing Ratoveros to constantly be on the retreat. The king's eyes were still filled with fury and authority, an authority the monster before him denied in favor of emphasizing Asgore's kinder side - the goat monster was fully aware of how **misguided** Ratoveros was as a leader, and even more in the path of parenthood - and pushed the feline further with three fireballs well aimed for his midsection, forcing the dark panther to land on his hindlegs with a pant.

"You believe you know what it means to be a king, Ratoveros?" Asgore called out as he readied four fireballs, while the feline tightened his grip on the jagged sword, eyes slitted in rage.

"All I know is that we'd not be stuck in this hole if you'd be better at collecting those SOULS!" Ratoveros said as he coated his blade with dark lightning, "And you and your family have dragged us down, since Shamir came in!"

"Take back what you have said about my son..." the king said as he released the four fireballs towards the feline, the latter jumping in mid-air to avoid them, and charged towards the goat monster. "He's one of the kindest souls I've ever seen... and he is eager to prove himself worthy of our name!"

Ratoveros aimed to slice Asgore, but the king managed to release an orange blast as the two weapons blocked one another, hurting the panther's arms in the process, with small cuts that dripped blood. On the sidelines, the Royal Guards knew that the king was definitely **holding back** , he wasn't willing to hurt the panther just yet, while Ratoveros was just beginning to warm up - he hadn't used his powerful abilities - and for the moment, the fight seemed to be in a complete stalemate.

"Where is he, hiding behind his mom's skirt? Why he isn't here to prove his worth? Oh, yes...he's a weak one, just like his father!" Ratoveros said as he charged four sets of dark lightning towards the king, while Asgore called forth a gust of wind with his Trident, deflecting the beams towards the panther, who ended up being even more burned. "Tch. That won't knock me down. Are you purposefully holding back, King Pushover? You don't have the guts to actually hurt me, don't you?"

Asgore knew that Ratoveros was just trying to make use of his silent fury within, and there was no way he will give in to his taunts. In reply, he summoned ten large fireballs in a rapid succession, forcing the feline to evade them with labored breaths - except for one, that managed to zing his fur even more, the scent of burned fur starting to reek off him - and landed somewhere further from the king, placing his paws in front of him as a large ball of energy formed in them.

"Staying silent eh? You still think you can beat me, Mr. I-am-Henpecked-by-Toriel?"

 _"I hate to do this, but it's the only way."_ Asgore thought as he was ready to deflect the ball towards Ratoveros, _"It is obvious he won't understand anything if I keep holding back. "_ The king's eyes suddenly squinted in fury, _"Time to cook a panther, shall we?..."_

The ball of energy was rapidly whoosing its' way towards Asgore, who shot a ray of light from his Trident as the ripples of energy caused by the aftereffect started to form small fires in the humid grass, while Ratoveros had to duck under a few beams of lightning that wildly escaped from that effect. _"I'm not going to let this weakling topple me down, under no damn circumstances."_ the panther gritted his teeth as he ran towards the great king, furiously swiping left and right, hoping to get a hit in, but Asgore was a lot agile than he actually expected, and in one moment of blind fury, the king knocked him down with his Trident.

Ratoveros got up, willing to finish this fight in his advantage, but Asgore had a neat trick under his sleeve, and as sword and trident clashed one more time, Asgore pushed him back with a gust of wind, and started summoning fireballs - as if they were like a meteor shower - and ten of them landed on target, burning Ratoveros badly, and forcing him to yield before the king. Asgore's voice then dropped dangerously low, freezing the feline in his spot, **"Your defiance against me stops right here and right now. You think I am some sort of weakling? No weakling can rule the Underground and carry the burdens of everyone on his shoulders.** **Above all else, nobody insults my family! They are the most precious things in my life, and anyone who dares insult them insults me."**

"...I...a-accept d-defeat..." Ratoveros shivered in terror as he bowed before Asgore, whose eyes were glowing red. He hasn't felt such terror in his life. It's as if all of his confidence was sapped away by the King's powerful glare. He felt more powerless than a defenseless newborn cub.

Asgore sighed as his magic dies down, his cape slowly falling back to the ground again. He smiles bashfully. "Sorry about that. I do tend to get carried away sometimes." He turns to the other guard members with a strong nod. The killing intent wasn't even aimed at them and they were still whimpering. "Remember, my fellow monsters. There is nothing wrong with feeling fear. After all...how else will we come to know our own weaknesses?"

It was then that they understood. As kind as Asgore was, he was NO weakling. You don't rule and keep order over an entire Kingdom by being weak.

"...M-my k-king...I'm sorry I d-defied you..." Ratoveros hung his head low in shame. "You are certainly stronger...t-than you look."

"I hope that this lesson sticks with you, Ratoveros. Otherwise..." his voice dropped again, **"I will kill you without any hesitation."**

"I a-apologize...K-king Asgore. I...had no intention on crossing y-your Highness." the panther replied, cowering in true fear.

* * *

 **(Back in the Present)**

Shamir's eyes widened in surprise after Asgore finished telling his story. "Wow...Dad, I can't believe how much of a weakling Ratoveros actually was...I feared him for nothing! He was all talk, as opposed to you. I think he got revenge through my persecution..." his eyes looked down in shame. "And that shows me just how powerful a Dreemurr really is."

Asgore lifts his son's head gently with one of his paws, his eyes meeting the jaguar's. "As the King, I have responsabilities, and even if I may seem like a nice guy..." he paused, "There is no way I shall leave anyone trespass over our values, nor our hopes. And Ratoveros was certainly the worst lot as a Captain all along. I know you're still doubting yourself, Shamir."

"Dad..." Shamir's eyes were betraying his shame, "You have faith in me, after everything that went down?"

"Of course, my dear son." the kingly monster said as a smile formed on his face. "Treat your mistakes as important lessons. They will help you see what you have to do to evolve in a better way."

 _"I wonder if I can keep this mindset..."_ Shamir questioned himself as he looked at his father in a new perspective. _"Dad is truly a stronger warrior than Ratoveros was..."_

"So, what do you think about him, right now?" Asgore beamed towards his son.

"I think you taught him a proper lesson!" Shamir laughed. "He must've shaken his tail and fur off seeing you like that!"

"Try not to doubt yourself that much anymore." the kingly monster rose as he opened his arms. "Come here, son."

Shamir was a little surprised by the fact his father wanted to hug him, but gave in the hug as that day, the jaguar felt a lot better about the fact that his mistakes could be fixed, could be learned from. Ratoveros's words started to have little effect on him since then...


	12. A Hero's Guidance and Underground Rumors

**Me: I feel like the title looks so pretentious! *silently facepalms* And look, I pushed forward...  
**

 **Shamir: No, Shock, it's really...fitting. And yeah, looks like you pulled another update in the same day. Inspiration?  
**

 **Me: That's for the readers to decide, I guess? *sweatdrops* And yes, I have been inspired!  
**

 **Gerson: Ah, looks like we're goin' to have a little chit-chat about heroism.**

 **Me: I hope you won't think too badly about me, Gerson.**

 **Gerson: Wa ha ha! Why would I, young'in? You're doing a good job.**

 **Me: Uh...thank you, it means a lot.**

 **Shamir: This time, I shall start the drabble.**

 ***Roar of Light ensues***

 **DRABBLE START!**

* * *

 **A HERO'S GUIDANCE AND UNDERGROUND RUMORS  
**

Shamir was starting slowly, but surely, to figure out just how much of a villain Ratoveros turned himself into, simply because he didn't understand what Gerson tried to teach him - the real values of a hero - while the jaguar was more than willing to learn them in reality, as opposed to the constant lies his captain dished out on him. _"Dad told me that Gerson used to teach Ratoveros, so maybe that's why he kinda hated me all the time I was training, and now, during my leadership..."_ Shamir sighed as the very way Gerson told him once that a Dreemurr wouldn't do such a thing - he meant that a Dreemurr is neither arrogant, nor hunting glory - and resumed his thoughts as he walked down the capital's stony streets, " _The turtle is known to be a really shrewd judge of character, he must know something different about being..."_ he huffed, trying to find proper words for what he meant, _"...being a leader worthy of respect."_

The monsters were still displeased with him, as he could catch angry glares and soft whispers amongst them - even a certain purple feline that Shamir caught himself admiring every now and then - but he knew that, unless he changed, there would be no way for him to ever get her. _"It's not completely hopeless, but in some ways..."_

What he didn't really know was that Catty found herself looking at him as well, in spite of the circumstances they were in - he knew exactly what he wanted in life and was really strong willed - the former was something Catty admired in the jaguar. _"Here I go again, watchin' him. And I'm stuck with Burgerpants on my head..."_ she sighed. _"I wish he'd just notice me already."_

"Hey, Catty?" her best friend, Bratty the Alligator said.

"Yeah, Bratty?" the purple feline replied, after a moment.

"Somethin' on your mind lately?"

Catty hesitated a bit before turning to face Bratty, but eventually replied. "No. Just a fleeting crush, I...I think."

"Oh? Is it Parvos? I saw you looking at him with wanton eyes."

"Uh, what got that idea in your head?" Catty replied nervously.

 _"Sometimes Bratty can be sooo clueless."_ the purple cat thought as her friend eventually backed down on asking, formulating her own idea about who Catty wanted, while she found out that Shamir was no longer on that bench. _"Damnit..."_

Shamir shook his head as he didn't want to focus on Catty right now - she was all too distracting even from afar - and stopped at the new station point of the River Person, at the edges of the capital. _"Time to talk to Gerson..."_ he thought, while sitting himself on the small bench of the boat, and River Person knew that the jaguar was in no mood for talking today - while the strange monster felt the silence a little too heavy for them, and decided to encourage Shamir for a change.

"Tra la la. Do not fret, you shall learn a lot."

"Thanks." was all Shamir could reply as he silently waited to reach his destination.

As he touched, first feet, the humid grass of Waterfall, he realized the River Person's station was near Gerson's small shop - perhaps the strange monster thought it was convenient for both them and the old turtle - and felt somewhat relieved that he won't be traveling too long to find him. The moment he went through the threshold of the small shop, he noticed that nobody was here, but by the looks of the shop, someone was here just a few minutes ago. _"Damnit, must've missed him."_ the jaguar thought as he scratched the back of his head in puzzlement. _"He didn't even bother to leave a note...perhaps he doesn't have that many customers."_

His eyes were looking around, until he noticed a carved Delta rune and gently touched it with his paw, exhaling in relief. _"...The symbol of my family...of our kingdom."_ he thought as a loud click was heard somewhere deeper in the cave. _"What the..."_ Shamir cursed mentally before moving away from the small stand where Gerson sold his wares, and started advancing, as he could pick up some sounds down the tunnel.

While he wasn't used to the darkness, the subtle light from outside was more than enough to give him a way around, to notice towards whatever he was heading, and unsheathed rapidly one of his Dual Sabers. It didn't hurt to be wary, after all - and he learned that from his father, a thing that filled him with pride - as the tunnel seemed to narrow down in what seemed like an entrance.

 _"I wonder what is Gerson hiding..."_

The door was made of steel - Shamir could feel the coldness of the material under his paws - and it seemed impenetrable. _"One way to break through it!"_ the jaguar thought as he unsheathed his second saber, and charged them with lightning. _"If my Jaguar Fury can't break through, it will cause enough noise for the old turtle to come out."_ he planned ahead, gritting his teeth in disbelief.

 **"Jaguar's Fury!"** he bellowed as the X-shaped attack managed to chew in the material, leaving a deep dent, but it wasn't enough to actually make a hole in it. However, the noise managed indeed to attract somebody's attention, because he could distinctly pick up some vibrations behind the door, and stood ready. Various locks on the door started sliding away, one by one, while a gruff, old voice grumbled in disappointment.

"Wait a sec, King Fluffybuns." Gerson said as he kept sliding away the locks.

 _"What the hell?! I'm not my fa - wait. So that's where Dad went when he was absent!"_ Shamir realized as some memories of his past were now much clearer. _"But why in here?"_ his mind raced as he tried to understand why the two monsters were so secretive.

"Okay, I'll open the door for ya. Just make sure you haven't been followed." the old turtle said, as he opened the door, only for him to widen his healthier eye in shock. "What are **you** doing in here?!"

"Sir, I merely wanted to see you, at my father's request." Shamir said as he sheathed his swords and bowed respectfully.

"Hmph. But know, you ought to keep quiet about this place." Gerson said. "Only the king, you, and I know about this. **Tell any other living monster in here and I will find a way to eliminate you."**

"Rest assured, sir, no other soul will know." Shamir assured as he placed his paw over the Delta rune. "After all, it must be important if you care for its' secrecy."

"Hmph. Come in." the old turtle gestured for the jaguar to enter, and then locked the entrance with a well-aimed kick that forced the locks to slide back in place.

The cave before Shamir was indeed large, and filled with numerous battle equipments, from training dummies to various weaponry, like axes, maces, and the likes - it seemed that the turtle was doing serious training , or he trained someone else - while Gerson was content to sit on a large bench on the sidelines, inviting the jaguar to sit as well.

"What's with all this?" Shamir gestured towards the whole gear.

"King Fluffybuns trains under my supervision." the old turtle replied, folding his arms.

"Whatever for?" the jaguar's eyes widened in surprise, "He's strong enough on his own!"

"Yes, but he trains just so he doesn't forget the main ways of a hero." Gerson huffed in annoyance. "But you? You have forgotten them long time ago."

"N-not true!" Shamir stammered, "I-I know them!"

"What, you believed that ol' con Ratoveros? He was painful to train, I can assure you."

"But..." the jaguar sighed, "can't you train me too? I..."

The turtle gave him one scrutinizing look, remembering what Asgore often told him about the jaguar in front of his eye, _"He tries so hard to be worthy of our name..."_ and sighed as he knew that an explanation to Asgore will be in order, about how did Shamir manage to discover their secret training ground.

"Look, kid. If you really wish to change your ways, you should start by being honest with yourself."

"What? D-do you think I'm lying to myself?" Shamir asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

 **"You have no idea how much."** Gerson said as he shook his head.

"I am their adopted son...I learnt much about kindness, courage, love and hope under their guidance..." the jaguar started saying as his eyes brimmed with a few tears."I try each day to make them proud of me... "

"Yes, your actions sometimes determine their pride. But actions are also...subjective, if they are done out of foolishness, like you do." the turtle stated matter-of-factly.

"Master Gerson..." Shamir shot his azure eyes towards the old turtle, "teach me how to be a true leader."

"What I can teach you is enough to make you discover your true self." Gerson said, "But that means you must be constantly honest with yourself, as well as figuring out everything on the run."

"You mean, taking responsibilities for all of my mistakes, and learning from them?" Shamir said, as he recalled the other day, when he and his father talked about Ratoveros.

"Exactly. That is **the first step** in honesty."

* * *

 **(Sans' Lab, Snowdin)**

Sans was talking with Alphys on the UnderNet, as he was far too busy for the day - he worked on the machine his father, Dr. Wingdings Gaster, left behind - and throughout the conversation, he noticed that Alphys was extremely excited over something, and stopped for a moment from his notes.

[sans.]: what's up, alphy? why are you typing so much, you ping me like crazy.

[alphys]: I have heard some intriguing news on the Undernet, they say Shamir and Catty have a thing for one another.

[sans.]: what the holy pawprints...

[alphys]: I know,it's shocking right?

[sans.]: it's electrifying.

[alphys]: But, how are we going to make them admit their love?

[sans.]: gee, alphy, you can't force 'em. they'll have to come out on their own.

[PapyrustheDazzlingSkeleton]: WHAT? SHAMIR AND CATTY? SINCE WHEN? I NEED A HEADLINE, I MUST HAVE A HEADLINE.

[sans.]: paps...

[alphys]: Papyrus! I can't believe you're freaking serious about this...

[alphys signed out.]

[sans.]: nice, paps. just nice.

[sans. signed out.]

 _"count on my bro to just nail it in the worst way possible..."_ Sans shook his head in disappointment as he returned to work, but he realised, after a good fifteen minutes, that he couldn't actually focus on anything, because the news were indeed **intriguing**. _"shamir and catty...hm..."_

* * *

 **(New Home)**

The two Dreemurrs were sitting at a large table, outside, in the beautiful inner gardens of the Castle, sipping their tea and nomming some Butterscotch Pie, while talking about various topics - from how the Underground was faring, how pleased or displeased were their subjects, and last but not the least, about their adopted son, who was heading now on a seemingly better path than before.

The birds were chirping joyfully, and it seemed nothing could really ruin this day - for the first time in many years, Toriel and Asgore were actually taking a genuine break from everything - but they knew that things weren't going to be that simple all the time, unfortunately.

"Asgore..." Toriel broke the silence between them with a somewhat worried voice, "Do you believe that Shamir will follow the path we've offered him?"

"Tori..." Asgore rolled her name with a soft tone, gently taking her paw in his, "Deep in my heart, I know that he will. And I hope that he stays on it."

"Did it ever cross your mind that he might fall astray?" she said, as a few tears spilled on the table, "My child...I do not wish for him anything else than happiness and good will."

"Do not worry, Tori." the king rose from his seat and gently placed his paws over her shoulders, "He will not fall astray, and even if he does..." Asgore sighed, "...I hope there will be monsters that will remind him of his real self."

"My child..." Toriel whispered under her breath as she felt a pang of sadness in her heart, "Please..."

 _"Find a way to remain the son I love with all of my heart."_


	13. Dancing Through The Night

**Me: Please, don't skin me alive for how I handled certain parts...  
**

 **Shamir: ...We know, certain parts of this drabble.**

 **Me: Anyway, I also hope the levels of fluff are extreme.**

 **Toriel: Goodness...**

 **Asgore: I know, Tori.**

 **Sans: shock really wants to do the impawsible.**

 **Alphys: Like always, right?**

 **Me: ...Heh.**

 **Dating Drabble...**

 **Start?**

* * *

 **DANCING THROUGH THE NIGHT  
**

The capital was teeming with life, as the Dreemurrs announced proudly that the annual ball held in the honor of Asrador and Ragoria, Asgore's parents, will be retaken as a tradition. He sighed as he remembered them, being killed in the first Monster-Human War - Gerson took the role as Regent until Asgore was old enough to rule on his own - but nevertheless, the turtle's idea of honoring their memory through a ball was indeed nice and somewhat comforting for monsterkind. Asgore's parents were highly respected by their subjects, and while the first war left deep scars for the survivor of that particular conflict, he knew that Asgore and Toriel strived to raise to the expectations.

The same could be said for the young jaguar, who seemed indeed interested in changing his ways, but Gerson still had his own doubts about Shamir - while he was a Dreemurr, adopted Dreemurr even, - the feline didn't seem to be fully taking in what meant to be a part of this family. Then again, he could be wrong as well, Gerson never claimed to know more than everyone else, even if he was the type of monster to judge someone abruptly.

Shamir was indeed tensed at the thought he will have to attend the ball tonight - he didn't even have a formal attire, anything - and sat on his large bed, while his tail was swiping nervously in thought. _"How the heck can I dress up for this evening...All I have are just..."_ he frowned for a moment, _"warrior's attires. And Mom said she won't allow me clanking around in a suit of armor. Not even Dad. So..."  
_  
His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on his door and the voice of his mother calling him out.

"I'd rather you come in, Mom." Shamir said, a little frustrated.

"Goodness, Shamir! What is this entire mess in here?" Toriel lifted her paws to her muzzle in horror as the entire room was a mess.

"Well, I tried to find something, anything." he shook his head in disappointment. "I do not wish to disappoint you, Mom."

Her eyes softened as she heard that - Shamir had a very strong bond with her, it was the main reason he strived so much not to make her upset - and scooted next to him, lifting his sad face. "Perhaps it's time we changed your wardrobe? Do not worry, I am sure we can find something in town just right for you." she said, in a warm voice that made Shamir's frown turn into a shy smile.

"Okay, Mom." he said as he rose from the bed. "But first, let me clean the room."

 **(Fifteen minutes later...)**

Shamir descended from his room, right into the kitchen, where Toriel was preparing breakfast, and Asgore greeted his son with a smile. The scent of honey, butterscotch and golden flower tea was enough to make the jaguar murr in excitement, as he sat next to his father, who seemed a little preoccupied as well about tonight's ball. But unlike Shamir, the king had different attires to go by, and Toriel made sure her husband would wear a white button-up shirt, with a black bowtie around his neck, blue pants and a blue jacket. Toriel already knew what she would dress in for this occasion - and her only worry was their son.

"You know, Shamir..." Asgore broke the silence while Toriel gently poured the golden flower tea in three cups, "Tori and I met at one of these dances..."

"Oh, it's time for a story, isn't it?" the feline's eyes sparkled with curiosity, "I am all ears."

"Hmhmhm~" Toriel softly laughed at the inquisitive nature of her son, "You are quite eager to learn more about us, aren't you..."

"Yes!" Shamir said excitedly, "Every story about you two is soo adorable!" he couldn't help a soft laugh. "E-excuse me."

"Hm~ Well, I will let Asgore tell the story." Toriel said as she sat next to Shamir, gently petting his head.

* * *

 **(At a Ceremonial Ball, in the past...)**

Asgore looked at the beautiful goat monster dancing with other monsters, noticing her lilac dress adorned with golden sewings, while Gerson made sure everything was going well during the entire event. The somewhat young turtle noticed the lovestruck look on the Prince's gaze, and figured his eyes must've set themselves on the beautiful daughter of the Dawnamur family. _"Ah, he is definitely enraptured by her beauty, wa ha ha!"_ Gerson thought as a smile formed on his face. _"She is really something."_

Toriel Dawnamur was one of the most recent residents in the capital, after the Dawnamur's home in Snowdin burned to the ground in an accident - caused by a small Toriel's lack of mastery over her fire - but her parents were more than happy to stay in New Home, even if they didn't enjoy going out in town, while their daughter was rather inquisitive and very curious about many things. She saw the Prince in passing, whenever he gave out encouraging speeches for monsterkind, trying to bring them the hope of a better day, and noticed that next to him, stood a young turtle, who looked like he's been through a grim war - and nevertheless, she was impressed with the fact he was such a hopeful monster, and tried his best to see his subjects happy in the first place.

Now, here she was, dancing the night away, while her eyes couldn't resist looking at the Prince in his throne, a slight blush forming on her face as she caught him looking at her with desire in his eyes. _"Tradition itself says that the Prince must dance alone with one of the ladies in this room, a special music will be played for the two."_ she mused, as her heart skipped a beat in anticipation, but then smiled away as she knew not to dawdle on false pretenses - after all, the Prince could as well choose someone else instead of her.

The usual waltzing music stopped, and Asgore sighed as he looked around the room - but none of the ladies captured his eyes as much as she did - and with some hesitation, he rose from the throne, walking in a straight line towards Toriel. A moment of silence passed between them as their eyes met, breathing evenly, their hearts somewhat skipping a beat, before Asgore eventually extended his paw, inviting her to dance with him. _"Don't mess it up, Asgore! Your mom and dad count on you, even if they aren't here..."_

 **[Music: Grande Valse Viennoise by Andre Rieu]**

She hesitated for a moment, but gently gave in the moment the violins started to play their special music - and smiled briefly at the monster before her, even if she felt under pressure - every other lady monster in the room looked with some jealousy as she was the chosen one. But Asgore wanted to make her feel safer with him, so he tried to ease the tension stirring within Toriel, by flashing a goofy smile towards her as he lifted her face, "Look at me. Tonight it's just you and I, nobody else around. Dance with me, Toriel."

He gently placed his arm around her waist, and took her other arm in his, their paws softly interlocking, as she looked right in his eyes, feeling the tension inside vanishing the moment they started dancing to the different waltz, especially played out for them, as he spun her around, fires slowly dancing around their bodies as well, until they formed small fiery hearts in the air, impressing everyone in the room. Even Gerson widened his eyes as he noticed Toriel was a pyrokinetic, much as Asgore was - but her proficiency was toppling Asgore's one. _"...This is magnificent."_ the turtle thought as he watched the couple dancing away.

She felt at ease in his arms, of that much she was convinced, _"He is certainly a handsome monster...and quite goofy...Definitely leaning on the goofier side."_ she mentally chuckled as her paw dug in his, tightening the grip between them. In moments like these, she could feel her courage coming back, and her complete domineering side, a thing Asgore noticed the moment he saw her just inches from his muzzle.

 _"She...she is indeed fiery..."_ Asgore could think as a few drops of sweat beaded on his forehead, but he was willing to lean in for a kiss if that was what she wished, willing to submit under her gaze, her everything. And she noticed his flustered face, laughing a little at the - now - completely overwhelmed Prince before her, and leaned to whisper something in his ear, something that, she hoped, would make him stay focused during the dance. "Prince Asgore..." her breathing tickled his fur and made his heart skip yet another beat, "Keep dancing, do not let me waver in such times of need..." she said, gently placing her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat go faster.

 _"I shall, Toriel, I shall..."_ his thoughts replied, but the words never really came out and he was content only to hold her even closer in their dance, as the fire surrounding them was now forming small flaming stars that died down as soon as they landed on the other guests in the room, and Gerson could do nothing but smile with pride. _"And here starts a new path for Prince Asgore..."_

 **[Music Stop]**

* * *

 **(Back in the Present)**

"...And that was how I met Tori." Asgore chuckled a little, as Toriel scooted next to her husband.

Shamir's eyes widened as he saw his parents nuzzling each other, smiling as their eyes met, the jaguar was completely impressed with his father's somewhat hesitant, yet tender actions towards his mother, giving the term "fluffy pushover" a completely new meaning. To him, at least, even if his mother was the one that kept things in control in their relationship, his father was more than happy to oblige her - but there were moments when the roles reversed, and he had to be the one in control. The jaguar wasn't bothered in the slightest by their adorable nose-nuzzling moments - he actually encouraged them on more than one occasion, by slightly blushing and beaming at them.

"Wow...that was one amazing story, Dad!" the jaguar kept his beaming smile, "You must've been sooo flustered when holding Mom."

"Hush now, little Shamir." Toriel smiled coyly as she pat the jaguar's head, ruffling his fur a little, "You and I still have to go in town."

The two, mother and son, prepared for a long day in the search of a suitable attire, well enough to catch a lady's attention - of course, Shamir had someone in his mind, but he didn't really want to focus on that just yet - besides, the odds of her being interested in one such as him were somewhat low. Her strange lifestyle was definitely catching his eye, and shook his head as a lot of thoughts were going wild - if she was willing to abandon her old lifestyle, if she could adapt to what he had to give her - and he didn't even notice when his mother called out for him.

" **Shamir!"** Toriel raised her voice a little, finally making him snap out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Mom." he replied sheepishly, not daring to look in her fiery eyes. "I've been thinking a lot lately..."

"My child," the matronly monster said as her voice became soft once more, "I am here to help you out, you know that. Whatever it is, I am sure it cannot be that serious."

"I-If you say so." Shamir sighed. "Anyway, was there something you wanted me to see?"

"Yes." Toriel said, "Come in with me."

They entered a small shop where all kinds of clothes were made, and the shopkeeper was a nice deer monster, named Dahlia. She was wearing a long, pink sweater, and a nice white with black dots skirt - overall, she was a pleasant sight for the two Dreemurrs. Dahlia courteously bowed before them, and while Shamir wasn't at all used to having monsters bowing in front of him, he lifted his paw in reassurance. "There is little need for that, miss Dahlia."

"My apologies, Prince Shamir. But it's a great honor to serve you." the deer monster smiled as she turned towards Toriel. "I assume your Ladyship is in need for some clothes?"

"Not for me," Toriel laughed softly, "but for my son in here."

"I see..." the deer monster smiled, "He is more of a warrior than a royal prince, isn't he? Well, let us see what I can find for him, your Ladyship."

Shamir must've tried a lot of outfits - some were too small for him, others were too large - and it was very embarassing to try so many things with no luck at all, but Toriel looked like she thought of how difficult it was the first time when he worse his first robe. _"That pout still makes him so adorable!"_ the matronly monster mused as she tried to stifle a laugh. _"I often wish he would give in to his fluffy pushover side. He definitely has that!"_

Dahlia was giving the jaguar shirt after shirt, pants after pants - until she found something that was guaranteed to steal any lady's heart - a black tuxedo suit, and it was his size. Shamir was a little reluctant to try this as well, but after Toriel glared at him with fiery eyes, he eventually agreed to try this suit out. As he dressed up, he didn't dare to look in the mirror, unsure if this was really what he wanted. _"If this doesn't look well at all..."_ he thought as a frustrated sigh escaped him, _"I am in no mood to try any clothing anymore!"_

To his surprise, both females looked at him in shock and smiled brightly, as they uttered at the same time, "This is absolutely fitting!"

He looked in the mirror, and he saw a really well-looking jaguar, his jawline clearly proving a monster of action - Shamir smiled as the outfit looked quite sleek on him, and then he took Toriel's paws in his. "Yes, this is indeed fitting, Mom. Though I have to be honest..." he closed his eyes, "...I clearly dislike trying out clothes in forever." to which his mother did nothing but laugh heartily, and he noticed her gaze was soft, understanding how bad this must've been for him.

 **(That evening...)**

The large ballroom inside the Dreemurr's residence was indeed beautiful, as marble shone pristine clean on the floor, and the big Delta-runed windows were giving out the impression the room was larger than it seemed at first glance. Above, on the ceiling, a carefully painted fresco resembling blue skies captured the guests' eyes, and it seemed like, for a moment, the surface was open to them - of course, it was just a mere consolation for all the times they've been through - and a large chandelier adorned with blue and purple Waterfall crystals gave out a sense of true magic, of home, of a place where they could forget about everything that befell them.

The orchestra was rather small, with ten monsters playing the instruments - except for Shyren, who acted as a vocal singer - in there, one could see Papyrus at the violin, Undyne at the piano, Alphys on the flute, Greater Cat on the cello, while other monsters played clarinet and violin, respectively. But what was definitely surprising, was that the conductor was none other Nice Cream Guy, or NC for short - and Burgerpants was a little scoffing at the fact he wasn't chosen.

"I really WANTED that position! I'm a better conductor than NC!" Burgerpants said as he lit up a cigar.

"Sheesh, bro, you're really thinking too far, don't cha think?" Catty said, as she was dressed in a long, black dress, and her face wore discreet make-up around the eyes.

"Yeah, Burgie, if you were able to actually do something, don't cha think Sans would've chosen you?" Bratty commented, as her red dress shone a little from the glitter it was covered with.

Gerson's table was near the Dreemurrs' one, and he enjoyed drinking a little root beer while waiting for the entire ceremony to begin - it was tradition that the ball began only after the Royal couple danced, - and if the turtle was honest with himself, he hadn't seen that in a very, very long time. It was a spectacular sight back in the days when Asgore was young and shy, and he hoped that it would be much more impressive this time. _"Somethin' tells me they'll lead one another - she's pretty good at that - Toriel was and is a beautiful sight to behold, even now."_

While every monster's eyes were on the large entrance, waiting for the moment the royal trumpets will announce the Dreemurr family.

Minutes seemed like they were rolling slowly, until the sound of trumpets filled the room and a mouse-like monster announced them, loud and clear.

 **"Their Majesties, Asgore and Toriel Dreemurr, and Prince Shamir Dreemurr!"**

He then bowed respectfully before the three, as monsters' eyes were still glued to their appearance - Toriel's choice for that night was indeed interesting, as she wore a long, purple dress that was beautifully adorned with small, white sparkling crystals, and a lot of the male monsters were looking at her in awe - while Asgore wore a nice suit-up blue attire, and last but not the least, Shamir wore his black tuxedo, with a blue bowtie. The jaguar was intent on making this whole idea with the ball work, until he saw...

Catty.

 _"She is indeed stunning in th-that black dress..."_ Shamir thought as his face was graced by a tint of red, _"Focus on it, Shamir, don't let the emotions get the best of you!"_ he chided himself for his lack of tact, while his parents noticed that he was indeed nervous about something.

"Shamir? Are you okay, little one?" Toriel's voice had a note of concern in it. "You seem distraught."

"No, Mom. I'm just nervous about this, that's all." he tried to diffuse the building tension within him.

"Very well, if you say so, my dearest." she smiled at him, before taking Asgore's arm.

"Ready, Tori?" Asgore asked her, as his eyes were lit with excitement.

"Ready, Gorey." she said coyly. "Let us show them what our magic can do, after all this time."

The king and queen descended in the middle of the room, while Shamir made his way towards the main table set for their family, avoiding Catty's scrutinizing gaze as she drooled a little over the jaguar. Her friend noticed that, and widened her eyes in shock - she never thought Catty could aim for the Prince, of all felines - while the purple cat turned towards Bratty wondering what got her shocked like that.

"What happened, Bratty?" Catty asked her as she waved her right paw in front of the alligator monster, "Hello? Are you even there?"

"Sooo..." Bratty's smile was sly, "You were actually drooling over the jaguar!"

 _"Shit, she figured it out."_ Catty mentally facepalmed at that, while managing to crack a smile on her face, but Bratty was still smiling in a mischievous way.

" **What?** " Burgerpants's face fell, "That's...totally unexpected of you, Catty." the cream-coated cat said as he lit up another cigar.

 _"Don't tell me the idiot actually intended to ask his 'sister' out."_ the female feline thought in frustration, while her eyes went back to the main event.

The two Dreemurrs were now basked in the blue and purple lights of the large chandelier, with some faint light coming from the barrier, through the big Delta-runed windows. Asgore looked in Toriel's eyes, and it seemed like her fiery gaze was giving out a myriad of emotions, like love, tenderness, determination - the latter made obvious by the fact she tightened her grip around Asgore's free paw - while the king held her closer, almost glued to him, and she was a little taken aback by his sudden boldness, as his eyes were burning with passion.

A slow tango started to play in the background, and the two goat monsters were attuning to the rhythm as they paced back and forth, inches close from delving in the passion that rose within their SOULS. His touches made Toriel succumb to his will, almost unwillingly, but there were times when she also dominated him - their gazes showed how much love was actually within them - and their ardorous dance etched in the shining marble a large heart of fire, whose small flames radiated with white light, white flames that hovered above everyone and landed in their paws, extinguishing themselves at the touch.

Shamir looked in awe at the white flame in his paws, and then his gaze shifted to his parents - the story about their amazing fire was not a legend at all - making him smile with excitement. While Gerson could only chuckle as the sight before him was even more impressive than the last time he saw the Royal Dreemurrs dancing, _"wa ha ha! He's no longer that much of a pushover, while Toriel is somewhat toning down her dominance...They are indeed a perfect match."_ , a thought that Shamir shared in some ways.

 _"That passion...that hope! It makes me so warm and fluffy."_ the jaguar mused, not before mentally slapping himself, _"Duuuh, since when you've become so soft?"_ but the answer was clear as light - it was since he took in Undyne and Alphys, and now, since he fell for the purple feline whose green eyes stared intently at him. He inadvertently choked on his soft drink, taken aback by that look. _"Good grief..."_ he shook his head as there was little room for courage when those eyes were absolutely studying him from head to tail.

Loud rounds of applause could be heard as the two Dreemurrs' tango finally came to an end, with Asgore holding Toriel very close to him, their breathing a little labored due to the effort they've placed in the romantic dance. And then, without warning, she started kissing him - the large goat monster was definitely shocked by his wife's passionate outburst, but the irresistible taste of butterscotch, along with her dominant nature in their relationship, made him eventually give in - it was a kiss of life, of love, of hopes yet to come.

"Golly, you do like that, don't you..." Asgore rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Hm~" Toriel softly giggled as he was definitely embarassed by their sudden make-out in public, "You're just irresistible, Fluffybuns~"

"Good grief..." Shamir could only say as he sweatdropped in embarassment. _  
_

The jaguar noticed that Sans was talking to NC, the latter being somewhat panicked about something - whatever it was, he wouldn't know - and then his eyes turned back to the beauty before him, the purple cat who seemed to chatter away with Bratty and Burgerpants. _"How the heck am I going to invite her to dance?"_ he thought as if afraid to take a chance, maybe because they never really spoke to one another?

 _"Damnit Shamir, with what she got you in her charm?"_

Before he could even answer that, music started to play once more, and this time it was a mix of trumpet, tuba, triangle and piano, which resembled something out of a human movie - maybe one where adventure was the main part, or even the action - and he could see Sans dancing with Alphys on that tune, enjoying themselves to the fullest. A hearty laughter escaped the jaguar, as from time to time, Sans and Alphys would nuzzle one another on the tune, and he noticed Catty joined in the fun as well, as well as the two Dreemurrs.

 _"Might as well join in the fun!"_

Everyone danced to the rhythm, as they were enjoying themselves, laughter and giggles could be heard during their dance - Shamir ended up waltzing his mom for a moment, - before taking into his paws the very distraction that was on his mind the entire evening. He gently smiled at her as tension was somewhat building between them, their eyes were almost avoiding one another as their touch felt surreal.

"Hey, Catty." the jaguar said, trying to plaster his best smile ever.

"H-hey, Prince Shamir." Catty said. "Sorry, I'm not quite used to..."

"It's okay," he said, as he gently waltzed the purple feline, "I'm not quite used to do this either."

Everyone looked in surprise as they watched the two dancing to the waltz Sans himself conducted - a tender, embracing waltz that foretold a new love blossoming in the Underground - while Alphys' glasses were foggy and she was blushing a bit in excitement, the idea of a new pair was certainly... _"Adorable and fluffy, fluffy, fluffy! Did I mention fluffy?!"_

 _ **This was the moment when Shamir's life changed for the better...**_


	14. Between Choices and Jolly Days

***Strange feelings rush within your SOUL.  
**

 **Me: They're rather confusing. And I also feel some things went out quite weird.  
**

 **Shamir: What's going on? Shock, you okay?  
**

 **Catty: Hey, Shamir.**

 **Shamir: Golly...**

 **Me: Okay, can you get a little serious?  
**

 **Sans: ok. looks like this ain't going to be only fun.  
**

 **Me: It will be fun, but there's also darker stuff in it.**

 **Asgore: *sips Golden Flower Tea* I strongly believe it will end well.  
**

 **Me: *sips tea* I believe that too, Goat Dad.  
**

 **Conflictual Drabble...Start!**

* * *

 **BETWEEN CHOICES AND JOLLY DAYS  
**

Winter's chilly air could be felt inside the large cavern, where the Barrier was - and Shamir could be found in here, when he needed solace and a reason to fight on for the Underground - his robes fluttered a bit with the wind, while his azure eyes were staring at the somewhat transparent barrier that separated them from the Surface. He placed his paw on it, and the barrier immediately cast out a few ripples of energy, as if it allowed itself to be tangible...

But he knew that it was merely an illusion - it was destined to be torn apart by the power of seven souls - and sighed once more as he felt completely powerless to do anything. " _It's cold, and our hope hangs by a thread, while Dad already has five souls..."_ the jaguar's mind began to take a different view on the situation before him, _"But I can't help wondering if the barrier could be broken in another way."_

However, those thoughts found themselves contradicted by malevolent ones, twisted ones, that actually **agreed** with what Asgore did - killing the humans - making it look like it was their **only** chance at setting themselves free. Thoughts that Shamir couldn't knock away, and he could feel seething rage pour through him, his eyes turning red for a moment.

 _"This is not right! You cannot be a fool to believe such things!"_ he chided himself as his eyes slowly returned to their usual azure. _"How can you be this stupid? To actually listen to these lies? Be honest!"_

"If I am honest to myself, barrier,..." he left out a heavy sigh, "I feel incompetent. I feel like my father is not acting right with killing those humans. But what I feel and what I do are two different things."

 _"Think admitting any of this will actually do anything good?"_ his darker thoughts rose again, _"You are nothing but a coward, doing nothing to protect them. And you call yourself a Captain! What Captain treats everyone like that?"_

 **"This certainly doesn't help!"** he roared as he punched at the barrier, only to be knocked on his rear, and shook his head. "I try my best to protect them! I ensure they stay vigilant, they do not falter in battle!"

 _"Again, you're nothing but talk. You're a great coward, staying in here, instead of killing the first human you see on sight. Ratoveros was better at this than you! He was less of a coward, and did more for the Underground than you did!"  
_

 **"Be silent, thoughts of mine!"** he roared in the cavern, and then sat on the cold stone floor, exhaling in frustration, "What's going on with me..."

While Shamir was battling wits against himself, Asgore and Toriel were preparing the house for the winter celebrations, as they learned from Chara - and shed a few tears as they remembered another year has passed since that tragic event - but they were extremely worried for Shamir. He definitely showed signs of following a better path, but at the same time...

He was dangerously close to be evil.

They could hear a loud roar coming from the barrier, and dropped immediately what they were doing to check on their son - and not surprisingly, they found him in a somewhat meditative state, while...crying? Toriel's motherly instincts kicked in overdrive as she took the jaguar in her arms, while Shamir felt more at ease spilling his tears on her bosom, surrounded by the scent of cinnamon, butterscotch and lavender. Asgore was also concerned with his state, for it was the second time he found the jaguar crying for an unknown reason.

"Shh, shh..." Toriel softly cooed to Shamir, while petting his head, "Mommy is here, dearest..."

"I don't know what's happening to me." Shamir honestly admitted, his sobs stopping after a while. "I'm rather troubled by many things..."

"Gerson told me, Shamir." Asgore cued in as he placed a paw over the jaguar' right shoulder, "Told me you are willing to be honest with yourself, but at the same time, you're not able to fully overcome what Ratoveros told you. Nor the fact that you're so close to be an exact match of him..."

"Dad..." Shamir said, as he sighed, "I...I'm sorry, I don't want to ruin the fun of today with my problems."

"Nonsense, Shamir." Asgore said, "We are family, and we will show support anytime you need it, my son. I know it is difficult to choose a different path in life, but...try. Keep trying, and no matter how much you get knocked down, you have to be able to get up." the king smiled as his soft green eyes met azure ones.

"Can..." the jaguar broke Toriel's protective hug, "Can I help you too?"

"Of course, little one!" both goat monsters said, a soft smile gracing their muzzles.

The Dreemurr residence looked incredibly welcoming for the winter celebrations, with a beautiful wreath adorned with small, silver bells and red ribbons, made out of evergreen, and the entire castle decorated with small, white lights, that gave out a sense of serenity. At the windows, they put tinsel, a lot of it, and mostly white and red. It seemed a little silly as they looked at it the first time, but the joy of celebration was enough to make it feel just right, not to mention it set Shamir in a good mood - he even dressed in a red robe with a white Delta rune, for the occasion!

"Goodness..." Toriel looked at him with a critic's eye, "You're quite handsome, my sweet baby jaguar~"

Shamir felt his face redden at the compliment, and his mother couldn't help giggling at how adorable he could be, _"Look at him trying to hide his face...He is just lovable when he does that."_

"M-Mom...D-Do you really have to..." Shamir said as he still tried to hide his blush, while Asgore was snickering in the kitchen.

 _"His bond is so strong with her...and they look so adorable when she makes him completely lose all focus and wit."_

"Yes, I do~" she kept giggling, "Because you're the sweetest baby jaguar, the fluffiest feline I've ever pet."

"Good grief, Mom!" Shamir said in exasperation as his blush turned crimson. "Your teasing is sooo efficient at making me a red jaguar."

"Hmhmhm~" Toriel smiled coyly. "It means that I'm progressing."

"W-with what?" the jaguar asked, as his face was slowly returning to the usual calm one.

"Why, with understanding what you feel, of course!" she replied. "I cannot fully grasp what you feel, but I could sense something bad within you."

"Please, let's not roll over this again." Shamir gently lifted one of his paws. "This evening is for celebrating winter, if I recall correctly. We'll discuss this at a later time, and when I'm more comfortable with approaching the subject once more."

"Shamir..." Asgore asked, "do you remember the first time we celebrated winter?" his gaze shifted towards Toriel, "...The three of us?"

* * *

 **(A Day before Santa's Arrival, in the Past)**

"Mom, mom!" a little Shamir ran down the stairs, "tomorrow night, Santa will come!"

Toriel was softly smiling as she saw the energetic feline in front of her, his eyes shining with joy, and picked him up in her loving arms as she kissed the top of his head. "You surely wait for Santa with eagerness...I bet he never met a cub like you are."

"You mean, as joyous as me?" the small jaguar asked, as he nuzzled his mom's bosom affectionately.

"Indeed~" the motherly monster replied as she pat his head, while Shamir left out a purr of pleasure. "My, you're comfortable in there, aren't you?"

"It's purrfect, Mom~" the little jaguar giggled in embarassment, "It feels so safe and warm."

"Why, you can stay here a little while..." she cooed, "I have nothing to do for the moment."

She sat in her reading chair with little Shamir in her arms, just by the gentle fire she lit up, and picked up a children's book - Shamir absolutely adored his mom's storytelling, but he could say that Asgore was also very good at it - while lightly petting his head, the jaguar murring softly in response. Toriel started to tell a story about a brave human - she found it a little curious that her son was also interested to know about humans - who took daring challenges as he saved a kingdom from falling down, and Shamir fell asleep on her bosom.

 _"He looks so small in my arms..."_

After two hours of good sleep, the jaguar's eyes opened to notice it was slightly darker - meaning outside the barrier, it was evening - and he descended slowly, making sure not to wake his mom up. _"I have to write my letter to Santa...I...I hope it's not too late for that."_ Shamir thought as he walked up the stairs, into his room, and sat at the medium-sized wooden table, picking up a white sheet of paper and a blue crayon. _"Okay...I have to be honest about what I wish for."_

 ** _"Dear Santa..._**

 ** _I'm sorry I'm writing this letter to you so late, I hope you're not mad at me._**

 ** _If you can, can you bring me a beautiful wooden sword? I love to play 'Be the Royal Guard!'  
_**

 ** _It's my hope I'll be, one day, part of that cool team of heroes._**

 ** _But...the real heroes for me are Mom and Dad. I mean, they do so much for me..._**

 ** _If you can, bring them happiness, bring them comfort._**

 ** _They've told me how much they miss my other brothers..._**

 ** _I want to know what happened to them one day._**

 ** _Yours, Shamir."_**

Shamir then placed the letter in an envelope, and wrote on the front _"For Santa, from Shamir"_ as he crept down the stairs and out the front door, going for the mailbox. His eyes were shining with hope - perhaps Santa will help his parents become a little happier - and placed the letter in the steel box, this time making some noise, enough to make Toriel wake up, and she noticed it was already evening.

"Goodness gracious, I have to go out for some groceries!" she said, putting one paw to her cheek. "I trust they haven't closed their shops by now..."

 _"Besides, Asgore and Sans have a long night to prepare for, tomorrow...I wonder what Shamir wished for."_ Toriel mused, as she dressed up for the rather cold air outside. "Shamir, would you like to come with me?"

"Yeah, sure, Mom!" little Shamir said, "I'm done writing my letter for Santa..." he sighed, "I hope he won't be mad I sent my letter this late."

"I don't think he will be mad." Toriel shared his concern.

(Later...)

After a rousing success in shopping, Toriel and Shamir entered the front door, only to notice Asgore wearing a very festive outfit - a large red and white sweater, and white pants - and gleefully drinking his tea. Shamir couldn't help thinking his father looked incredibly jolly, while Toriel stifled a laugh, _"Asgore sure likes to be a big goofy goat...I dare say that expression...hmm, almost cat-like."_ , as some jaunty tune was playing in the background.

"Howdy, Tori!" Asgore said lightly, placing his cup of tea on the table and rising to give her a warm hug and a gentle peck on her lips, then turning his attention to the little cub between them as he picked Shamir in his arms, "Howdy, little one."

"Howdy, Dad." the jaguar replied. "You look so cool like this!"

"You think so?" the kingly monster ruffled Shamir's head.

"Yeah!" the little cub's eyes were shining with glee. "And, I sent my letter to Santa today."

"Oh, you did?" Asgore inquired, "Well, better now than never, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I was afraid he'll be mad I didn't send it earlier...and Mom said she doesn't think so." little Shamir said, as Asgore let him go from his arms.

 _"One day...he will be a good Santa's Helper."_ the king mused as he looked at the little jaguar before him, _"He's been good all throughout the year..."_

* * *

 **(Back in the Present)  
**

"It's strange, it was like my wish for you actually turned real..." Shamir looked at the two monsters before him, "You were happy and leaving the ugly past behind...And as for the latter, I still feel like they have died in vain."

"Shamir," Asgore said as he placed his white paw over the jaguar's free one, "It's not the right time to dawdle on the past. The winter celebration means leaving it behind, forgive one another for their wrongdoings..." he sighed. "But that doesn't mean we'll ever forget those wrongdoings."

"I don't know what can Santa bring me this year." the jaguar retreated his paw, as his eyes shone with sadness. _"I wish I could bring happiness throughout the Underground. Maybe it's time I gave something in return...But how?"_

"Well, maybe you can bring him something this year?" Asgore chuckled, "I have heard he likes presents too."

"I thought..." Shamir's eyes lit up, "that Sans, I and Mom could make a comedy competition for this celebration. It's mostly Sans' idea, he really wants to bring warmth within our hearts. Oh, and Alphys said she wants in too!"

"Golly, that's a very nice idea! It will be the first time we ever held such a thing. And knowing Sans, he will keep them coming." Asgore laughed.

"I shall be the judge, alongside Papyrus and Undyne." Toriel said. "Looks like Sans, Shamir and Alphys will compete in this, along with everyone else who wishes to join."

Indeed, the event was a surprise to everyone, as the Royal couple decreed that tonight, a Winter's Celebration comedy competition will be open to everyone that wishes to enroll. The main goal of this competition was to dish out the most hilarious sketches of comedy, and the winner would be able to gain his present first paws from Santa, a thing that impressed Shamir - perhaps he will have a chance to thank Santa for his wish as a small cub - and prepared himself by going to the library in Snowdin. He wanted to read and take note of the best puns he could use against Sans to make a very good sketch, _"I know this might only help me understand how to make better puns...he's quite a na **fur** al on this matter. Damn, I'm starting to make cat puns!" _Shamir stifled a laugh as he walked out the front door, not before telling his parents he's going to prepare for the competition.

Besides, he would stop by Papyrus' Resort, where Bratty and Catty had their shop.

He found it curious that, after the dance at the Ceremonial Ball, she would try so hard to fight her bottled up emotions - Catty was strong-willed, she couldn't just let those feelings top her, but they eventually did - and usually ended up in gazing his azure eyes. And today was no exception, for the moment he cleared his throat, she dropped a large vase from her paws, a little startled by the sudden noise - she was grateful that Bratty was not around then - and left out a soft sigh.

"I know it's you, Prince Shamir." she broke the silence between them, a little hesitant to face him.

"We're alone, no need to throw my title around..." Shamir shook his head in disbelief. "Besides, I want to stop people seeing me as if I'm some sort of superior being. I know, my family is royalty, they lead the Underground, but we're not so unlike you. You keep seeing yourselves as common folk."

 _"Don't you actually enjoy the power, Shamir?...Be honest with yourself, don't you?"_ his darker thoughts taunted him, but he shook his head as he enjoyed looking at her backside. Her tail was wagging nervously, as much as his did when he was angry, and her curvaciousness- _"Stop-STOP IT, Shamir!"_ he chided himself as a strong blush spread over his face.

"You're still royalty, Shamir." Catty said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "And I'm not, simple as that."

"You think this would stop me from..." he hesitated a bit before saying the words, "from looking after you? I know, you've led a pretty tough life, your strong will is admirable, but you shouldn't-"

"Please." the purple cat said, a few tears brimming in her green eyes, "Don't say this just to pity me."

He moved a little closer, while she left the tears flow off her face, soft sobs could be heard from her.

"I'm not saying this out of pity, Catty. I only know what I've heard." he sighed. "I wanted to know your story...from you. I want to know what made the strong woman before me turn bitter."

"Strong-willed? I kinda lost that...after..." her voice was a whisper, "...after my first crush outright dumped me. Said I'm not good enough for him."

"I don't believe that. Your dance with me seemed to prove otherwise." Shamir smiled as he advanced a little more. "Sure, you looked like a damsel in distress, but your eyes were burning with passion."

"Why does one such as you want one such as me? Some monsters look at me like I'm sort of an all-time bickering feline, and that I'll most likely start an argument over the smallest of things."

"Catty..." the jaguar sighed, "please, just...let's sit down somewhere. Tell me your true story, tell me who you really are."

She turned to face him, her green eyes meeting his azure ones, and could only whisper, "Why? Why do you go to such lengths to convince me I'm wrong?..."

 _"Because I don't want to see anyone in danger of losing themselves anymore..."_ his mind replied, while he couldn't do anything else than pull her into a big, gentle hug.

* * *

 **(Winter's Celebration Comedy Competition, in the evening)**

The Royal Guards' training ground was full of monsters, while Ribras, Rasha and Parvos sweatdropped - the latter noticed Catty was in the crowds, and scoffed a little before heading inside the building. The two lions looked puzzled at one another, before noticing the Royal Dreemurrs walking through the large crowd and immediately set to make a clear path for them, yelling at the monsters to step aside, "Come on, move off, show some respect!" they bellowed, reaching the three Dreemurrs in time and lightly acknowledging them.

"No need for that, my Guards. Tonight, we're as one." Asgore smiled. "Besides, the competition is sure to be fun!"

"Eh? Are you sure you do not need a clear path to the tribunes?" Ribras scratched his head in confusion.

"If you insist, Ribras," Shamir said, "you can help us reach there. Your main task is to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Very well, Captain." the lion bowed shortly and led the three towards the tribunes.

In the crowds, Shamir noticed Catty, and smiled a little, knowing she came to show some support - it took a great deal of convincing her that she could be once more that determined feline he saw the first time - but he was a little irritated by the fact Parvos outrightly tried to change her way of being. Of course, Shamir knew she could be a handful, sometimes arrogant, sometimes kind feline, and yet she completed him by being incredibly strong-willed when needed to.

 _"We both need more time to adjust to this, Shamir..."_ her voice rang in his head. _"But I am willing to set aside my fears, for you."_

Undyne, Papyrus and Toriel took their seats as jury, while Sans was drinking a bottle of ketchup as he seemed to talk with Asgore. Whatever that was about, he wouldn't know, and then noticed so many monsters lining up for the competition, like Aaron, Woshua, Temmie, and even Migosp - he was glad Jerry didn't sign up for the competition, or it would've ended in disaster - and even the promising comedian Snowdrake. For some reason, Shamir felt like he and Sans were somewhat equal in terms of pun prowess, while he felt like an amateur, though that wasn't going to make him withdraw with his tail between the legs. _"I will try my best, and I will laugh as much as I can!"_ he smiled as he joined Sans and Asgore, while Alphys ran to hug the small skeleton.

"hey, woah woah there." Sans chuckled as he kissed her forehead. "you're too hot-headed."

"I'm glad that I made it in time, I wanted to give you a hug before we pun ahead." Alphys blushed.

Shamir and Asgore smiled at the two, while the latter encouraged his son to have fun and laugh as jolly as he can, hugging him. "Stay strong, my dear son."

"Heh. I will, Dad."

Shamir, Sans and Alphys went along with the other contestants, while Asgore took a seat in the tribunes, ready to enjoy the competition as much as everyone else that didn't enroll in it. His eyes scoured for Toriel, who seemed to explain something to Undyne and Papyrus, the latter apparently somewhat grimacing - perhaps he wasn't a huge fan of puns, - but in the end the tall, dazzling skeleton nodded strongly, as if agreeing with Toriel, and Undyne smiled towards them. _"Good, things are going okay...I hope that Shamir will be as good as I heard him one day - he and Sans were dishing out cat puns."_ the kingly monster thought.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMONSTERS!" Papyrus started speaking, "WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF WINTER'S CELEBRATION COMEDY COMPETITION! LET US GET READY TO MEET OUR CONTESTANTS! THERE WILL BE, UHH..." he lowered towards Toriel asking how many rounds of sketches will there be, "...EIGHT ROUNDS OF COMEDY BATTLES! IN THE FIRST ROUND, WE HAVE MIGOSP AND AARON BATTLING!"

"Heya, lovelies." Aaron winked, "I'm ready to make people laugh and flex my muscles ;)"

"What a gloating horse you are." Migosp retorted. "Let's battle already."

 **COMEDY BATTLE, ROUND 1, START!**

"You don't like my muscles, you cricket?" Aaron said.

"You cracked the audience with your muscles." Migosp huffed comically.

"The sweat is incredible, not even you can resist it!" Aaron said, flexing his biceps.

"I'd rather sweep it, ugh." Migosp retorted.

"Don't tell me you're Woshua in disguise!" the sirenhorse's eyes widened in shock.

"I want to wash your brain." the insect-like creature said.

"Why, can't you wash your own?" Aaron dished out another line.

"Ugh, you stink, I'm outta here." Migosp said, pretending to be furious.

The crowd laughed a little at their comedy sketch, but it wasn't that impressive - Undyne's face had a look of pure horror, Papyrus' eyesockets were widened, while Toriel covered her muzzle with both paws. They said that out of this first round, **Migosp** was the winner, and everyone gave a round of applause as Aaron flexed his way out.

 **COMEDY BATTLE, ROUND 2, START!**

Now, it was Snowdrake and Temmie battling, and the whole battle felt like it was a total nonsense, but it was saved by the promising comedian.

"hOi! i'm tem! and i am a temmie. tem tem temmie for the win!"

"Chill out, you should be called Tempest." Snowdrake blinked.

"temmie flakes? temmie wants!"

"Ice you're very strange." Snowdrake punned once more.

"tem? colleg? tem?" Temmie said.

"Don't give me the cold shoulder, I don't know colleg." the bird-like monster dished another pun.

"tem gO to colleg! tem punz better!"

"Right, they're bone chilling."

Snowdrake's puns made Toriel laugh, and Papyrus huffed a little in annoyance, while Undyne clapped - it was an unanimous decision that **Snowdrake** was the winner, the crowd cheering with enthusiasm.

 **COMEDY BATTLE, ROUND 3, START!**

It was Shamir and Woshua's turn to battle, and the jaguar was a little nervous before entering the stage. He exhaled heavily as everyone's eyes were on him - he still wore the red robe with a white Delta rune - and scratched the back of his head a little.

"Can I wosh your SOUL, Shamir?"

"No, I glean myself every day." the jaguar retorted with a pun.

"But- I have to wosh, I have to wosh!" Woshua said.

"That cod've gone better. You're kinda hindsane!"

"What the heck? Even Shyren makes better puns than you..." Woshua said.

"I bag to differ. I am a nafural at this." Shamir replied.

"Heck this, I'm out, your puns are dirty for me."

"This is wonderfur." Shamir smiled as he folded his arms, a dashing smile over his muzzle.

Toriel was cracking with laughter as she caught puns coming from her son, and Undyne laughed as well - although that fish pun made her eye twitch a little - while Papyrus was happy to clap loudly. **Shamir** was the winner, as monsters from the crowd clapped along with Papyrus.

 **COMEDY BATTLE, ROUND 4, START!**

It was Sans' time, and everyone was incredibly excited to see him, facing Parvos - Shamir was surprised to see him enrolling,- but knowing him, the win was more important for the leopard than having fun, which made Shamir a little sad.

"heya, parvos. or i should say park wuss?"

"I'll drum you on your way out..." Parvos said, "if you don't stair at me."

"you're catcalling on me? shame, i thought you aimed butter than that."

"I am the best! I'll make everything go baboon!"

"dude, that was terrible. you're not tickling my funny bone at all...and i'm pretty humerus."

"But, I...I mustard the courage to skeet you, didn't I?"

Toriel was howling with laughter - if Shamir's puns were good, well, Sans toppled them - and Papyrus was facepalming, while Undyne let out her famous NGAAAAAAAAAAHHH! It meant that **Sans** was the winner of this particular sketch, which was indeed good...

As the last round was approaching, Sans noticed that he would be dishing puns against Shamir - and this was a perfect opportunity to knock him bonetired with a lot of puns - while Alphys enticed him into a make-out session deep in the woods, where nobody could hear them. At first, Sans was curious what got into her if she needed him that badly - maybe it was just stress - and he felt more than happy to oblige her. Alphys led him deep within the Snowdin forest, hiding playfully behind the trees, forcing Sans into a hunt for the prey.

 _"boy, she can sure be hard to catch."_ Sans thought, _"i have to be faster than her."_

As Alphys thought Sans won't find her in here, she felt a cold bony hand touching her left shoulder and turned towards him with a predatory smile, her eyes burning with passion as the skeleton started trailing his hands over her tempting body, while her face darkened, soft pants could be heard of her as he explored her curvaciousness. Their lips collided in blind love, as Alphys pushed him in the white snow - and it was obvious neither gave a heck if people heard something - they only wished for bliss.

"I-I didn't say you should stop!" she commanded, in a sultry tone.

"heheh, you're quite bonfired right here...yes ma'am."

They must've made out for a long while, because Sans could hear heavy footsteps approaching _,_ wondering who could be disturbing them from their moment of bliss, until Shamir revealed himself, blushing a little as he looked away. "Good grief...I swear, you two don't lose any opportunity. And you, Sans, didn't resist one bit."

"heh, it's not easy to resist a predatory lady, shamir. you of all monsters should know that." Sans chuckled. "anyway, let's head back, they must wonder what happened to us."

"Right you are. Alphys, do dress yourself up, please." Shamir said in a rather authoritative tone, still looking away.

 **(Some time later...)**

"...and the winner is Sans!" Toriel announced as he stood there, casually, while Shamir smiled with joy - he had a ton of fun while making comedy, that much was true, and he personally wished to organize another edition the next year. Sans, though, knew what his present from Santa really was - he was one of his trusty helpers, and there was nothing better to wish for. Asgore stood in the tribunes, still watching, and waited until everyone else except Toriel, Shamir and Sans went away.

"Good. Sans, are you ready? We have to bring them presents tonight."

"of course, asgore. and...looks like your kid knows." Sans tilted his head towards Shamir.

"Dad told me when I was older. And he also told me to wait until I get to help him. This will..."

"...be your first night as Santa's Helper, my dear son. I'm quite proud of you."

They went to the Dreemurr residence, while Catty was waiting outside the door, and felt a little embarassed by hanging around like that - Toriel stifled a small laugh, while Asgore's eyes were wide with surprise - until Shamir came by her side. "Mom, Dad...I'm seeing Catty...for some time. And..."

"And it's adoorable." Toriel dished a pun.

"Lady Toriel, I...feel quite pressured in here." Catty admitted, "But, I'm glad I have Shamir with me."

"Golly, you two are really cute together." Asgore smiled, "My son picked a very nice lady."

"she's purrfection incarnate for shamir." Sans snickered, "maybe he needs some litterature on that?" another pun came out, "or wait...they'll find one another quite entertailing."

"Okay, enough with the puns, Sans." Toriel said, her eyes lit with small, dancing flames.

"ok tori." Sans walked in, following Asgore.

Shamir and Catty were all alone, and each encounter they had felt incredibly awkward - catching themselves staring at one another, light touches - he couldn't help thinking why couldn't he advance further with her, until they looked up to see a plant with white berries above them.

"Mistletoe." Shamir said, softly, "I've heard a story about it..." he hesitated a little, "They say whoever's under it...must kiss."

"I..." Catty looked at him with uncertainty, green eyes meeting azure. "I don't feel...quite ready for this."

"I know, it feels we're going somewhat fast with...this. But I don't want to waste this moment."

"What are you-MMPH!"

 _ **That night helped Shamir understand better the meaning of compassion and love.**_


	15. (Roleplay) Switching For a Change

**Me: What the actual heck got into me? *laughs so hard*  
**

 **Shamir: What got you so amused?**

 **Me: Writing this, buddy. I couldn't get an idea out of my head.**

 **Shamir: Golly...**

 **Me: I know, me and my crazy ideas.**

 **Shamir: I don't think you're hopeless, if that's what you feel.**

 **Me: ...I just hope it's enough to make the readers laugh, or be knocked into tears from the feels. *pauses* Or perhaps they will cringe at how bad I took this idea in.  
**

 **Shamir: You're trying things out, practicing.**

 **Me: Yup, but I'm still worried.**

 **Drabble...heh.**

 **...**

 **What the-**

* * *

 **(ROLEPLAY) SWITCHING FOR A CHANGE  
**

It was another nice day in the Underground, as one could hear the birds were singing with glee or see flowers blooming, their scent bringing a smile to their face.  
In days like these, monsters could also do some roleplay.

Well, that was the premise for what a certain lizard scientist wanted to do for a long time - she wasn't just good with science, she was also a very good writer - and thought this plan forming in her head rather interesting, hoping she could get the others on board too. Alphys fiddled with her claws in excitement, her glasses fogged up a little and squealing like she usually did whenever Mew Mew could be outright paired with some human from the show. _"This will be so exciting! I really want to see how can we handle this!...Though I hope not all of them will be like 'Are you serious, Alphys?' "_ she shook her head in disbelief.

As always, whenever a genius idea raged in her mind, she went to share it with Undyne. But said fish monster was sitting lazily on the couch in the living room, watching Papyrus's show, and looked like she didn't want to be bothered with anything today - she was impressed with how smart the skeleton was, _"Perhaps Sans rubbed off him, 'cause the Papyrus I knew before was still somewhat innocent..."_ and the moment she heard Alphys's footprints, the fish monster stretched her arms a bit, turning off the TV.

"So, what is it this time, Alphy?" Undyne asked, as she pat the free spot on the couch. "If it's something scientific, please, tone down the vocabulary-"

"Actually, it's not scientific..." Alphys said, "Well, I can also use the data for a little research, but it's mostly for fun."

"For fun, eh? We've had only fun lately..." Undyne said, "Not that I complain, I love peaceful and fun moments too."

"Well, I want us to do a little switch for a change. Means that for this one day, we'll change our roles."

" **What?!** You want us to do what, Alphys?!" Undyne said, her face showing bewilderment, "How the heck are we going to do that, though?! There's no way we-"

"This switch means we're getting to roleplay as certain characters, not to change the way the Underground is ruled, oh my God." Alphys laughed, "I had this idea because I saw the latest Mew Mew Kissy Cutie episode."

"You already have me on board, sister," Undyne playfully noogied her, "And I can't wait to see what I'll get!"

"Hmm~" Alphys giggled, "I have an idea about the setting, the tale itself..."

"Care to tell me more?" the fish monster asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

"I don't want to make it restricted to just a few spectators, though. I'll have to figure out how to make it less...brutal in language."

"Wow...you look serious about this." Undyne noticed as Alphys's eyes were shining with determination.

"Of course, and I really hope the others will want as much as you do."

 **(Dreemurr Residence, some time later)**

Excited knocks could be heard behind the large door, and Toriel opened it, surprised to see Alphys and Undyne. Both seemed to be incredibly joyous about something, that much she could sense from them, and invited them in while allowing herself a few thoughts, _"It's curious, they never come in here without asking about Shamir first. This time - it looks like something else is on their mind, and it's enough to make them incredibly enthusiastic...perhaps Alphys came up with some new idea."_ before she sat in the large reading chair, while her two guests stood on the large couch.

The suspense was indeed rising in the air, as the three stared at each other for a while, thinking how to break the ice.

"So, what brought you here?" Toriel asked, as she looked at the two sisters before her.

"Alphys had this great idea of roleplaying as some characters she thought of." Undyne said, "I promise, nothing strange or weird, as far as she told me."

"Hmm..." Toriel placed a paw under her chin, in thought, "I have a faint idea about what 'roleplay' is, but I feel like you know more than I do, Alphys."

"I'll lay it out for you, your Highness." the small lizard said, as she began explaining what roleplay was.

In the meantime, Shamir came down from his room, and heard his mom and his daughters chatting about some idea of Alphys', catching a few phrases along the way like "it will be fun" or "I hope everyone will support the idea, it's yet another interesting event we could hold yearly!" and walked in the room, clearing his throat and taking a seat on the large couch, next to Undyne, whom he gave a brief hug.

"So, what is your big idea, Alphys?" the jaguar asked, as he saw her smiling with joy.

"Well, Dad, I thought we could roleplay as some characters. And don't worry, it won't be anything from my animes!" Alphys blushed in embarassment.

"Let me guess, you have a story in mind for us all." a sly smile formed on his muzzle, "And I think you already have an idea about what kind of character I'll might get."

"It's still just ideas, I have to set it down in two days." the lizard fiddled with her claws, "I also want to use this experience as a project, to see how well we can adapt to new things."

"Well, the competition was a nice start," Toriel said, "everyone enjoyed it to the fullest."

"Yes, and that's why I intend to hold a yearly theatric play. I hope everyone will enjoy this, I have heard they're quite fun."

"Oh, so basically, we get to play some roles in your story?" Undyne scratched her head in confusion.

"Yeah. Just, give me two days and I'll lay out what kind of characters I want us to roleplay."

"Golly, roleplay?" Asgore chimed in as he walked in the room, scooting next to Toriel. "What is that, honey?"

"Ah, Gorey." she started saying in her teacher voice, "We'll be impersonating some characters from Alphys' story."

"Hmm..." the kingly monster mused, "That will certainly look interesting."

"I'll also talk to Sans and Papyrus about this." Alphys said, "I'm glad that I have your support so far..." a shy smile formed on her snout.

"Of course you have it, dear." Shamir said as he made himself somewhat cozier on the couch.

* * *

 **(Two days later...)**

Alphys was still scribbling furiously the ideas that rolled within her mind, she could practically envision them - but she also had to pay attention, as some of the traits of these characters weren't all that good, - and wrote something more as she hastily drank the glass of water next to her. _"No, it has to be like this..."_ or _"Damn, that doesn't sound right"_ could be heard as she was muttering under her breath, trying to pinpoint a list, make things both fun and interesting.

 _"Hmm..._

 _Let us start with Queen Toriel._

 _I could try and bring out her darker side, but that won't be extremely pleasant. I believe, that instead, she should be herself, but a lot more protective about the Underground, and would be an embodiement of Kindess. Dad will like this, he is really fond of her."_

 _Now...King Asgore._

 _I think he knows a lot about science...given the fact he worked with Sans for a good while on his projects. He could be a scientist, a succesful one at that!_

 _Then...my Dad, Shamir._

 _I don't know why, but for some reason, I keep imagining him in a black suit, with a hat, and looking extremely badass...almost like...a mafia boss._

 _Okay, now Undyne._

 _She could be Captain of the Royal Guard... After all, Dad trained her so well she could take his place one day._

 _Now...myself._

 _That's kinda difficult...but I could be...uhm, ah, yeah, a dancer. I still have to work on my moves._

 _Okay, so far so good, Alphys._

 _Now, let's see about Sans._

 _He could also be himself, but with not that many scientist shenanigans. Just Sans...maybe a little more judgemental?_

 _And finally, Papyrus..._

 _I think he would like to stick to being himself."_

With that out of the way, she started writing a script as she thought of good lines for the characters and the background setting she should use for each particular scene - she didn't want to make a very long and tiresome play for monsters to watch, and each line that came out from her brilliant writing filled her with... **DETERMINATION.** Undyne was leaning on the doorframe, watching Alphys working so hard on it - writing was such a big passion of her sister's - and smiled at the thought she'll know what to do in the end.

 _"She's fierce when it comes to what she loves - and if anyone dares to insult her writing, you can be sure she'll step up her game and teach that one a lesson - I learnt her rage on my own, and since then, I never dared to rise it anymore. I love my little sister, she's growing so fast..."_

Alphys could sense someone was watching her, but when she turned towards the door, there was nobody and she scratched her head in frustration. _"It better not be Sans pulling a prank on me, or else..."_ the small lizard thought for a moment before turning to the script she was writing.

 _"It will be a three act play. The first one will cover the Ruins and Snowdin, the second Waterfall and Hotland, and the third New Home. And they'll have two days to learn their lines properly...I don't want them to bust out under the emotions._

 _But what kind of name should I give the play..._

 _Ah, yes!_

 _Tales of the Underground..._

 _Though I honestly feel like this is a reference from...somewhere._

 _Still, we need someone to play as the human - I think Monster Kid would be more than happy to join in, but what kind of SOUL..._

 _He doesn't have DETERMINATION, he has more like...PERSEVERANCE. So I have to fill him in about what it means, hopefully he will get it._

 _I think Grillby will be very good as the narrator, he has a very vivid imagination."_

* * *

 **(Evening, at the premiere of the 'Tales of the Underground' play)**

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Alphys asked the monsters before her, as they were dressed in their roles' corresponding attire. "Try to act natural, feel the lines as you say them - believe in them with every fiber of your body!" the small lizard said, her glasses shining with determination. "The music will be adjusted to the scenes, so do not fret, nothing out of the ordinary with the music."

"Fuhuhu, Alphy!" Undyne laughed, "You're really a very good leader here, you see?"

The lizard blushed from the compliment before choking out a reply, "H-hey, I'm no leader...but I try to learn everyday from Dad. By the way, Dad..." she looked towards Shamir, who wore a black suit and tie and a large black hat, "you look incredibly sleek in suits. You should try them more often."

"N-no, I am too proud of my Delta Rune robes. But given the fact I seem to play a badass character..." Shamir chuckled, "I might grow to like suits, but not too often."

"Son, she has a point in here..." Asgore said, looking quite interesting in his scientist outfit, "You look like a monster of action when dressed like this."

"THE GREAT STAR PAPYRUS CAN'T WAIT TO PERFORM FOR THE AUDIENCE." Papyrus cued in. "MY BROTHER AND I HAVEN'T CHANGED TOO MUCH. APPARENTLY HE IS A LOT MORE JUDGEMENTAL."

"i will try to ketchup with my role." Sans shrugged. "then again, i've never tried being an actor. alphys' idea throws us in a completely different situation."

"Hm~" Toriel giggled, "This will be indeed a fun experience."

 **[ACT I: SNOW-COVERED RUINS]**

 **[Music: Undertale - Once Upon a Time (Orchestral Cover)]**

 _Once upon a time, there were two races...  
The humans... and the monsters.  
But one day... war broke between them.  
And the monsters were sealed away.  
This is the tale of a small human...  
That wandered the Underground.  
_

[Monster Kid]: Oof, where am I? It's so dark in here, and look at those golden flowers... Wait, what is this curious breeze? I have to go and investigate. I have never seen such a thing before. I heard only legends about the monsters... Oof! Damn, I have hit a...stone door? Curious...I want to go further, whatever it might be...

 _The small human touched the large stone door, and pushed it with force...  
Before him, stood the marvels of a large room, seemingly abandoned, and two sets of stairs.  
He climbed the stairs with care, a bit cautious about what expected him in the next room._

 **[Music: [Tyrexis] Undertale - Ruins (Orchestral Remix)]**

[Toriel]: Is...Is that a human child? Wait, my child, do not tread further, there are traps in this room!

[Monster Kid]: Who are you?

[Toriel]: I am Toriel, Kind Caretaker of the Ruins. Please, do wait until I deactivate them for your safe passage.

 _The kind caretaker deactivated the traps and rushed towards the child, gently ruffling their hair.  
While the human was uncertain about whether to believe this kind monster.  
Though, she just saved his life..._

[Monster Kid]: Thank you, Toriel. I...I want to go home.

[Toriel]: This will be your home for a while, my dear child...Come, follow me.

 _After a long way and delightful moments with Toriel, the human child felt like he didn't have any choice...  
But to leave the Ruins and leave her behind...  
Sadness filled the small human's eyes as the first challenge laid ahead of him.  
_

[Toriel]: Prove yourself, dear child... Prove to me...that you are strong enough to survive.

[Monster Kid]: Please, don't make me fight you... I don't want to fight you.

[Toriel]: Why won't you attack? Do it, prove it you're stronger!

[Monster Kid]: This isn't the right way to prove myself! I'm stronger...if I make friends along the way.

[Toriel]: My child...I will put all of my expectations away for you and wish you good luck on your journey.

 _The human gave her a soft hug, as he departed with half-hearted joy.  
Ahead of him laid the dense forest of Snowdin...  
Where two skeleton brothers were living._

 **[Music: Undertale - Snowy Symphony]**

[Sans]: human. turn around and shake my hand.

[Monster Kid]: H-hi...?

[Sans]: ah, the old whoope cushion trick. it's always funny.

[Monster Kid]: Heh, yeah, it is! But...who are you?

[Sans]: i'm sans, sans the skeleton. i'm supposed to look out for humans like you...but i don't really care about capturing anyone. though, i have to warn ya about my brother, papyrus. he's a fanatic when it comes to meeting humans.

[Monster Kid]: That sounds...interesting.

[Sans]: okay kid. follow me, and hide behind that lamp. trust me, he won't see you.

[Papyrus]: HELLO THERE, BROTHER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THIS GLORIOUS DAY?! HAVE YOU SEEN MY PUZZLES?

[Sans]: nah... i was busy staring at this cool lamp.

[Papyrus]: AS ALWAYS, YOU'RE SUCH AN INSUFFERABLE LAZYBONES!

[Sans]: wow, bro, looks like you really work yourself out...down to the bone.

[Papyrus]: UGH, STOP PUNNING AROUND AND HELP ME WITH MY PUZZLES!

[Sans]: sorry, i didn't bring in my cellbone to help you out.

[Papyrus]: UGH! FINE, I'M OUT OF HERE...AND TRY TO DO MORE WORK NEXT TIME!

[Sans]: ok, kid, you can come out now.

 _From then on, the human made three friends during this journey...  
But was it enough? Will he be able to befriend everyone?  
The ones that were beyond Snowdin weren't fully kind as they seemed..._

 **[ACT II: BETWEEN WATER AND FIRE]  
**

 **[Music: Mafiatale Megalovania]  
**

 _The land of Waterfall was brightly illuminated by blue mushrooms...  
And the human felt a little while at peace with himself...  
But then, a strange monster approached him._

[Shamir]: Hmph. A human in the Underground... You do realize you're on my turf right now?

[Monster Kid]: S-Sir?...I don't want to...

[Shamir]: Can it, kid. I have no interest in what you have to say. I have only interest in what you'll do for me.

[Monster Kid]: Wh-what?

[Shamir]: I'm the boss around this area...and I control the Royal Guard with my influence. You'll see that Captain Undyne will turn you to mashed apples if you attempt anythin'. My dosh is enough to buy the whole Underground...but that's not my aim.

[Monster Kid]: A-And suppose I do something?

[Shamir]: I will make sure a bullet goes right through your head. Along with one of Undyne's spears. Got it, fella?

[Monster Kid]: Who are you?

[Shamir]: I don't usually throw my name around, but I'm Don Shamir. Anyway, I'll be watching your moves, one wrong turn and I'll make sure you don't get out of here alive, amigo.

[Monster Kid]: ...Got it, sir.

[Shamir]: Good, now scoot along! You have nothing else to see in here.

 **[Music: Undertale: Spear of Justice - Metal Cover || RichaadEB]**

 _The strange encounter with the mafia boss-like jaguar left the human with some fear in his soul.  
But he was intent on respecting his promise to the jaguar.  
That was, until he encountered the Royal Captain, Undyne.  
_

[Undyne]: NGAAAAAAAAH! Stop there, you punk!

[Monster Kid]: Wh-why? I didn't do anything...

[Undyne]: You have to pass through me if you want to go further!

[Monster Kid]: I promised Don Shamir I won't do anything...Why are you after me?

[Undyne]: He's not the one you should listen to. Listen to me, kid. You're the one standing in the way of our hopes and dreams!

[Monster Kid]: Please... I don't want to fight you!

[Undyne]: With each time you run away, I'll catch you, human... Don't think you can escape my might!

 _But Undyne was not able to resist the searing heat of Hotland...  
And collapsed before she got a chance to catch the human.  
Then, the human did something she didn't expect.  
He helped her.  
_  
[Monster Kid]: Here, drink some water...

[Undyne]: So...you...you're really listening to Shamir...

[Monster Kid]: I hate to disappoint any new friend.

[Undyne]: Sorry. I have to go, human.

 **[Music: Alphys - Undertale Cover - Orchestral]**

 _The next monster was even curiouser for the human...  
For she danced with grace, as much as she could...  
Her name?...Alphys, the beautiful Hotlands ballerina.  
And she wanted to be a successful star.  
_

[Alphys]: O-oh, hi th-there human!

[Monster Kid]: Why are you wearing a tutu?

[Alphys]: Ah, well, I-I am a ballerina.

[Monster Kid]: Can I watch you dance?

[Alphys]: You do w-want to see me dance? W-wow...

 _Her graceful pirouettes impressed the human so much...  
He also wanted to dance along, as much as he could.  
And with that, he had another friend in the Underground._

 **[ACT III: THE FINALE]  
**

 **[Music: Undertale OST: 073 - The Choice]**

 _His journey was slowly, but surely, coming to an end.  
He would once again meet Shamir and Sans...  
And another monster that he never saw before.  
_

[Shamir]: Hey there, fella.

[Sans]: heya, human.

[Monster Kid]: Why are you two in here?

[Shamir]: Well...we both checked on your progress, so to say.

[Sans]: he's right with that, buddy. i'll judge your good deeds...

[Shamir]: And I will judge your attempts at bringing harm to them.

[Monster Kid]: I didn't hurt anyone, I swear!

[Sans]: yup, you didn't, but...my buddy here says you did punch a few small monsters.

[Shamir]: Whatever for have you hurt the Whimsuns and the Lesser Cat?

[Monster Kid]: I was just afraid, I'm sorry! They're not dead or...

[Shamir]: Hmph. This can be overlooked...but the next time I'll see you harming someone... **I'll be sure to stand with everything in my force**.

[Monster Kid]: ...Got it.

 **[Music: Undertale - ASGORE (Orchestral Remix)]**

 _Before him, stood the mighty Scientist of the Underground...  
Dr. Asgore Dreemurr.  
The one monster who did everything to liberate the monsters...  
From their dreadful fate._

[Asgore]: Ah...The human has arrived. I was waiting for you.

[Monster Kid]: What is..that, behind you?

[Asgore]: This is the Barrier, child. And my hopes of breaking it...are gone.

[Monster Kid]: There must be another way.

[Asgore]: The only way is to break it with the power of seven human SOULS...

[Monster Kid]: I'm sure one day...one day we'll break it, together.

 _And that was the sorry tale of the Underground...  
We duly hope that one day, we will break it.  
But we have to stay hopeful._

Rounds of applause could be heard at the end of their performance, as many monsters shed a lot of tears and laughed in the background - it was both reminding them that they were trapped with no hope, and that they shouldn't give up everything they achieved so far because they're here hopeless, that they should be united. Toriel and Shamir looked at one another for a brief moment, as if she was telling him that he can progress further with Catty, while the others were busy discussing just how the play went overall.

Shamir discarded the black hat somewhere in the backstage, and went after Catty, excited to hear how did she feel about the play, while Sans and Alphys didn't miss a moment to kiss in the backstage. Toriel couldn't help giggling, and she looked at Asgore with predatory eyes, and the King saw himself in the position of complying with her inner passion. "Come with me, my fiery lady." he said, as they snuck out from the play and went straight into the bedroom.

After all this time, they could allow themselves to unwind a little and let their passion shine.

 _ **With happiness in their souls, the serious things could be taken in a different way.  
And Shamir was ready for all this...**_


	16. At the Edge of a Sword

**Me: ...To make up for the sloppiness of that drabble.**

 **Shamir: What are you saying? It wasn't sloppy...**

 **Me: I wanted to address something anyway.**

 **Undyne: What is- Oh crap, that's...**

 **Me: I know, Undyne...This has only one outcome.  
**

 **Shamir: One that will most likely change something.**

 **Me: ...That depends.**

 **Drabble of War...** **Charging!**

* * *

 **AT THE EDGE OF A SWORD**

Throughout the night, Shamir couldn't sleep really well, as Catty told him something that stirred a mixture of emotions within, like shock, anger, and disbelief, the latter much more obvious on the jaguar's expression. He stared at the ceiling with eyes wide open, trying to understand why did this happen - and if anyone saw or heard anything - because he really wanted to bring justice. A sigh escaped him as he shook his head, for the task ahead wasn't simple at all, nor it could be solved peacefully, as far as he was concerned, and kept replaying in his mind that talk they had after the play.

 _"So...Did you enjoy the play, Catty?" he asked her, taking her paws in his.  
_

 _"Yeah, you were cool in there. Never saw you in a suit, but I liked what I saw." she blushed a little while avoiding his eyes.  
_

 _"Are you okay?" Shamir inquired, a bit concerned._

 _"Y-yeah...uh, look, I-I have to tell you something." she pulled away her paws from his, as her head hung low._

 _"What is it?" the jaguar asked, tilting his head.  
_

 _"Parvos...He said he wanted back to me." Catty whispered.  
_

 _"And you believe him?" Shamir folded his arms.  
_

 _"A part of me doesn't, and another...is confused."_

 _"Look, I...I am serious about us." the jaguar pulled her in a hug._

 _"I know you are, you prove it everyday." she said, smiling a little._

 _"I'm not treating you as some sort of fleeting crush, Catty, you can be sure of that."_

But then she told him of Parvos' cruel intentions for her, his fist clenched in fury - while she outright asked Shamir to calm down and not kill him, the jaguar felt reason was out of question the moment she spilled the facts out.

 _"No, I can't let him live. There's no way!" Shamir bellowed in rage._

 _"He didn't do anything yet, Shamir! That will make things worse for you..." Catty looked at him, worried about the one before her._

 _"I will challenge him to a duel, and we'll see just how wrong I am about this."_

* * *

 **(In the morning...)  
**

The jaguar shook his head in disbelief as in his mind, a single plan was formed - challenge Parvos to a duel, and wash away the stain on Catty's honor - and descended with somewhat loud steps on the wooden stairs, entering the kitchen, where Toriel was busy preparing breakfast. Asgore wasn't in, meaning he must've gone gardening in the inner courtyard, and sighed as he sat at the table on one of the large stools around.

His mother noticed that something was up with him, and decided to question it with care, as she placed the cups of tea and a slice of Butterscotch Pie. Her eyes were studying him up and down, and two things were stirring concern within her - the frown on his face and the hint of rage in his usually calm eyes - she then placed one of her paws on his right paw, making him pay attention to her.

"Shamir, there's something troubling you..." the motherly goat began saying, in a soft voice, "...and I feel you'd be a little better if you told me."

"Mom...it's something I have to work out on my own." Shamir said, as he looked in her red irises. "I know you have the best intentions for questioning what's up with me, but I have to be responsible about it."

"This must be about Catty..." Toriel said, "You wouldn't be concerned like this if it was anything Guard-related."

"I need to have a chat, man to man, with her past boyfriend." the jaguar gritted his teeth. "When I made my intentions clear to her, he suddenly tells her all this."

"And you want to keep her honor unstained." Toriel smiled. "It's not the first time I've seen a monster acting chivalrous, Shamir."

"Not only that, but the very thought of him acting on his vile intentions, is enough to send me in a fury." Shamir folded his arms.

"I understand, but you shouldn't give yourself in to this fury. Control it to make your stance clear."

"Mom, I don't think you have been-" the jaguar was about to retort, when the goat monster laughed heartily.

"Oh yes, I've been once in such a situation. If you would've seen your father..." Toriel said as her irises glinted with recollection - Asgore followed the same pawprints. "It feels quite ironic, my dear Shamir... You are not of Dreemurr blood, yet you managed to take in the best of our qualities."

"Maybe because you two are such an incredible influence in my life." Shamir smiled. "And I'm proud of this...I'm not misguiding my pride this time."

"Good luck with it, my dear son." Toriel planted a peck on the jaguar's cheek, the latter smiling a little and blushing.

 **(Somewhere in the afternoon, in the area of Waterfall)**

The two felines were standing at a distance one from another, their eyes filled with fury and determination to see this done. The area was eerily silent, except for the distant sound of the flowing river, and their hitched breathing that showed just how much tension there was in the humid air of Waterfall. They were grasping tightly the handles of their swords, the leather cracking a little under the pressure, while Shamir's left paw clenched and unclenched in a nervous manner as it filled itself with electricity. Parvos, on the other paw, was stomping his right foot, as if lightly drumming away his nerves, and grinded his teeth in fury.

Shamir was thinking how to make this quick, and avoid killing the leopard - while a part of him wished for it, he knew that he couldn't let his rage get the best of him - whereas Parvos's mind was both filled with questions and with raging thoughts about the coming battle, as he definitely knew he brought this upon himself the moment he dared to voice his intentions. It wasn't like he didn't say the truth, but he expected the jaguar to become her knight in shining armor. _"Is this bullshit really worth it? He thinks that if we're going to duel, I'm going to give up on doing things to Catty?"_

While the jaguar was more than furious as he remembered the way she described what will happen to her if he would fail, _"I don't have to let my fury control me...I have to wound him so badly that he will actually give up."_ and charged his left fist with electricity once more.

"So, it's a fight to the death, eh?" Parvos inquired as he rose his sword, Shamir's reflection somewhat visible on the blade.

"It's a fight for honor." Shamir said as he rose his Saber, a grin on his snout.

Parvos ran towards the jaguar, aiming for a vertical slash at Shamir, but the jaguar was fast enough to parry it and eventually push the leopard back, slashing left and right in an attempt to overpower him. The dark-robed leopard charged a dark energy ball that impacted with Shamir's ribcage, forcing the jaguar to take the hit in full and grunt from the pain - his stamina was good, but if fast attacks were involved, he could be easily exhausted. As Shamir shook his head, a set of lightning strikes aimed for the leopard, making Parvos dodge left and right, though three of them managed to tear holes in his dark robes and zing his fur in places, the scent of burned fur filling the battleground.

"You're not bad, not bad...but you can't keep up with my agility!" Parvos said, his voice betraying overconfidence as he charged once more at the jaguar, metal clashing against metal as the swords were locked in a stalemate, and Shamir let out a deafening roar, forcing the leopard to cover his ears, thus leaving an opening for the jaguar, who thrusted a powerful kick to Parvos' ribs, pushing him back a few steps.

"Save your breath, arrogant one!" the white-robed jaguar said as he summoned another set of lightning strikes, burning the leopard's fur and robes once more and forcing Parvos to summon two large energy balls towards Shamir, the latter managing to slice through one while the other hit him full-force, burning his white robe in a few places and his fur, and forced him to land on all fours with a heavy breath.

 _"Close, but that wasn't enough..."_ the jaguar mused as he charged his paws with electricity and sheathed his sword, while Parvos dropped the large sword and unsheathed his two daggers, charging them with dark lightning. His fists were pounding rapidly against the small blades of the daggers, ripples of electricity emitting off them as they were punching/slashing at one another, able to see each other's eyes filled with rage and power. Shamir landed a few rapid fists on the leopard's ribs and a solid punch in his jawline, a thin line of blood visible from Parvos' muzzle, while Shamir's arms were bleeding from the numerous cuts of the leopard's daggers and also burning as he left out yelps of pain.

The battle seemed to stay in another stalemate, when Shamir landed a powerful kick to Parvos's muzzle, more blood running on it, and forced the leopard to retreat a few steps back to regain his breath and force. The jaguar was also exhausted, heavy breathing could be heard from him as well as small yelps of pain, due to the sustained injuries on his arms and to his ribs. He didn't want to prolong their agony, and unsheathed his Sabers, ready to deliver the final attack, and Parvos prepared one last giant ball of energy as his eyes were narrowed in full concentration.

This was the decisive move of their duel, the one that set the winner apart from the loser.

 **"Jaguar's Fury!" / "Electric Charge!"** the two felines roared as their attacks clashed, the Jaguar's Fury almost slicing the leopard's Electric Charge, and both attacks landed on target, the first zapping Parvos with such brutality that his whole fur was burned, while the latter kicked Shamir in the ribcage, almost rendering him unconscious, but the feline Dreemurr was somehow still standing. His enemy, though, was on his knees from all the pain he endured, and held his head low awaiting execution.

Coughing a little blood, Shamir walked with difficulty towards Parvos, his swords still unsheathed, and looked at how pitiful the leopard was. Parvos seemed to acknowledge he was at the jaguar's mercy, and that he possibly thought his stupid words warranted death. But what Shamir said completely made him both cower in fear and be thankful he was left to be alive, **"Listen, as I'll tell you this just once,"** Shamir began saying in a deep, scary tone, **"If you dare come closer to Catty, or say any stupid word to her..."** the jaguar closed his eyes as he took another heavy breath, **"I'll kill you without any hesitation on my part. Is it clear?"**

"Y-Yes, Shamir." Parvos said, frozen with terror as he reckoned the Dreemurrs were not a force to be trifled.

 **(Later in the evening...)**

"Eh? Did you just say your son owned Parvos exactly how you did with Ratoveros, King Fluffybuns?" Gerson's healthy eye widened in surprise, as he never would've guessed the jaguar was capable of such power.

"He may not be a true descendant, Gerson, but he seems to be a strong leader, day by day..." Asgore said, rubbing his golden beard,

"A lot of my training consists in that, Fluffybuns. I have to constantly remind him the values." the old turtle supported himself on his trusty cane.

"Good, Gerson. Because nobody knows our family better than you do." the old king nodded strongly.

"I strive to make a Dreemurr out of him." Gerson laughed softly. "Though, so far, you have done a great job at that."

"We're always going to be his parents, Gerson. No matter what challenges may lie ahead of us."

 _ **The jaguar's challenges were just beginning...**_  
 _ **But he was slowly learning from the past, for the future.**_


	17. Ghosts of the Past

**Me: I felt like writing this.  
**

 **Shamir: What the - ?  
**

 **Me: Let's just say it's an idea I've had in mind exploring.  
**

 **Shamir: What you mean? *scratches head in confusion***

 **Me: You'll see.  
**

 **Shamir: I get the feeling something's been bothering you lately.  
**

 **Me: No.  
**

 **Toriel: My child? Are you alright? *hugs ShockDreemurr***

 **Me: ...Please, don't look at me with those eyes, Mom. *sinks head in her bosom***

 **Asgore: Whatever got into our Dreemurr writer, Tori?**

 **Toriel: Shock seems a little disappointed about something, and is reluctant to tell us anything.**

 **Me: *muffled reply***

 **Asgore: Shock said that there's no way that they will reveal anything else.**

 **Shamir: You know, Shock, you're starting to sound like Chara, from the Classic timeline. Always so secretive.**

 **Me: *muffled reply***

 **Toriel: Shock is sorry for the amount of angst in this drabble, in the middle of a holiday. They felt the need to unwind from some angst of their own.**

 **Mysterious Angsty Drabble...**

 **Start!**

* * *

 **GHOSTS OF THE PAST  
**

Nightmares.

He never knew they could feel so real, bringing him to the verge of tears, making him beg for his life.

Such was the case of his latest nightmare, one that made his heart beat fast, fear written in his eyes as he muffled a few sobs escaping him. He shook his head and gently walked down the stairs, leaving a note in the hallway, and picking his black coat and black hat from the play, to protect himself from the cold. A heavy sigh escaped him as he closed the door behind him, stepping in the chilly air of the Underground.

 _"I need to walk for a while, cast away the thoughts...I..."_ he thought as more tears threatened to spill from his eyes, and shoved his paws deep in the pockets of his coat, going towards Snowdin. _"Maybe Sans can help me understand..."_ the jaguar's mind was willing to find an answer to why did these nightmares occur to him, and why did they show such a dark future ahead.

As he walked through Waterfall, he could see Gerson supporting himself in his trusty cane, and just as Shamir wanted to walk past the turtle's shop, the old warrior surprised him as the turtle placed a paw over the jaguar's arm.

"Wait. Somethin' is seriously riling you up, young'in." Gerson said, his gruff voice breaking the eerie silence of Waterfall.

"No, it's nothing." Shamir tried to divert the turtle's attention, but his voice was betraying him.

"It **is** something, young'in. No monster walks in the cold air, in the middle of the night, without a serious reason." the old monster squinted his healthy eye.

Shamir left out a heavy sigh before saying, "I'm just having nightmares, it's nothing, really." as he avoided looking in Gerson's eye.

"They're weighing quite heavily on yer heart, fellow. Are you afraid of something?"

The jaguar refused to answer, and gently pushed down the old turtle's paw, while his face was betraying a myriad of emotions - Shamir felt it wasn't the time to say anything yet - and walked away in the cold air, heading towards Sans' house. He needed to understand how to cope with these recurring nightmares, and only the skeleton knew how it felt.

 _"I swear, he looked as if haunted by these nightmares."_ Gerson shook his head in disbelief as he looked at the distant sillhouette of the jaguar, before disappearing from his sight.

 **(Snowdin)**

Shamir kept on walking, his expression betraying his inner turmoil, when he bumped into the very skeleton he was looking for. Sans instantly picked up the jaguar's emotions, and tried to lighten up the mood with a bad snow pun, to which Shamir somewhat resisted, even if inside he was laughing. That could only mean one thing for his skeleton friend - Shamir was in no mood for puns at this moment, a thing that was quite unlike him, because he enjoyed punning around - whatever was on the jaguar's mind was too serious to be overlooked.

The troubled jaguar leaned against a tree, sighing as his eyes were staring at the snow under his hind legs, while Sans shuffled his hands in the blue lab coat, tilting his head as a thin line formed on his face. _"buddy...what's got you so low, when you're supposed to be happy?"_ the skeleton thought as his eyesockets were examining the large monster in search for some answers. Shamir's soul felt like it was cracking from all the repressed pain, as if...

 _"he can't understand something, and that makes him doubt himself even more."_

"so, what gotcha up in the middle of the night, buddy?" Sans broke the silence with his question.

"Nightmares." Shamir replied casually, as he took out one of his paws, and manifested a small light. "But they feel so real..."

"what kind of nightmares, buddy? battling somebody?..." the skeleton asked, his curiosity enticed.

"No. They're not like yours, Sans." Shamir shook his head as the light betrayed the few tears threatening to spill.

"man, they sound serious for you to wake up and cry like that. is it something about tori and asgore?"

Shamir stood silent for a moment, before replying, "Not all of them. Some...take the shapes of some jaguars, with red eyes, haunting me incessantly."

"what? i don't - oh. wait. i remember a family of jaguars in the underground. they were really modest, and with a lot of kids. never caught their family name." Sans said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Can you take me to them?" Shamir's eyes lit up as he extinguished the light in his paw.

"uh...i think they kinda...disappeared off the radar for a long time."

"So they are dead." Shamir folded his arms, leaving out a sigh.

"i'm sorry buddy, i tried to keep tabs on them, cause asgore told me so. but..."

"Could you...at least, take me to their graves?"

 **(?)**

"here we are, shamir." Sans said. "the seven graves of the jaguars."

The seven graves were beautifully adorned with jaguar paws, and on each there was a name - the two larger ones had the names "Ashadir" and "Jade", while the rest of the graves were labelled, "Amulius", "Walik" "Rey", "Shalia", "Jakub" - with each grave Shamir placed a paw over, it felt strange.

"They were...my birth family. But I don't understand, why...why are they haunting me?" Shamir realized full-force as the nightmares started to make sense.

"ashadir told me once that he is proud of you being a dreemurr." Sans said. "guess they're mad you've forgotten how to be yourself."

"What do you mean?..."

"i know what i mean, buddy." Sans shrugged. "you're really adamant about not lettin' your family down."

"I am a Dreemurr." Shamir said, placing a paw over his soul, his voice a little trembling, "At least I belong somewhere..."

"your voice makes it sound as if you're afraid to lose tori and asgore." the skeleton picked up Shamir's sadness within.

"I wake up to these nightmares, always crying, always wary of my next step." the jaguar shook his head, "Always afraid that one day, I'll be losing everything because of my foolish actions."

"have you told them about these nightmares?" Sans said as he tilted his head.

"Not the ones about them." Shamir played with a bit of snow in his paws. "And I will not tell you about these just now."

"i 'spose you'll tell me when the time is right."

"Yes." the jaguar nodded. _"When the time is right..."_

* * *

 **(Dreemurr Residence, in the morning)**

While Shamir and Sans were at the former's family graves, Toriel and Asgore were quite concerned by the sudden absence of their son, wondering what made him leave without a word, until they found a note on the small table for post, in the hallway. It was clearly written, and the two goat monsters' souls sank a little as they realised he was in some serious troubles of his own.

Troubles that could not be quelled away by a night-light.

 ** _"Dear Mom and Dad,_**

 ** _When you'll be reading this, I'll be at Sans' house._**

 _ **I'm sorry I left in the middle of the night, but I needed some time alone.**_

 ** _Nightmares have started to trouble me more than I wished._**

 ** _Please, do not be afraid for my safety..._**

 ** _Your son, Shamir."_**

"Perhaps he feels discouraged about something." Toriel said. "He's been a lot more distant lately, with us in particular."

"What about Catty? She must know something, right?" Asgore inquired.

"Gorey, I doubt she really knows something. You know pretty well that his best friend is Sans, so he is the one you should talk to." the matronly monster said as she ate a slice of Butterscotch Pie.

"Let's give him a ring, shall we?" the king said as he dialed Sans' number on his cellphone.

 _Ring! Ring!_

"sans here. heya asgore, what's up?"

"Is Shamir in there, Sans?" Asgore inquired, a little worried.

"yup, asleep on my couch. he just had a hard time sleeping last night."

"Is he alright?" Toriel took the phone from Asgore as she asked that.

"tori, there's something you and i need to talk about shamir."

"Right, where can we meet?" Toriel asked. "Of course. I'll be there."

 _Click..._

 **(?)**

Toriel and Sans were standing in front of the graves, while Shamir was still at Sans' house. The skeleton felt like the jaguar needed a good rest, and asked Papyrus not to disturb the sleeping feline until he was back. Toriel was still questioning what could Sans have to tell her if he didn't ask for Asgore too - after all, they were both Shamir's parents - but when the skeleton started to speak, it became a little obvious why he did that.

"well. i told him about his real family, how poor they were and that i never caught their family name." Sans began as he leaned against a fir tree. "he looked both scared and excited about this."

"Why was he scared?"

"said some of his nightmares are about you. my guess is he probably witnessed you in shapes given by that fear of his - the fear he will be alone if he keeps going like this."

"We would always be by his side -" Toriel began, but Sans silenced her a little more.

"i know. but you cannot quell that fear of his. he feels like for now, he belongs somewhere..." Sans closed his eyesockets, "but what would happen if suddenly, he won't belong anywhere anymore?"

"That's a very dark view on life that he has..." the goat monster fiddled with her paws.

"if i wouldn't know that look of his..." Sans said. "anyway, he said he wanted to learn fire magic too."

"I'll be happy to teach him." Toriel smiled. "I hope that fire will help him...light his way in the dark."

"i hope so too, tori. i hope so too."

 **(Secret Training Ground, Gerson's Shop)  
**

"Focus your stance, Fluffybuns." Gerson bellowed as the king was wielding his Trident with fury.

"So...you saw Shamir last night?" Asgore said, huffing a little.

"Yep. Kid looked like he saw ghosts, never seen someone so terrified or sad like him." the old turtle said as he supported himself on the cane.

"And he said it was just nightmares that drew him away from home?...There's something amiss in here."

"This mystery will probably be solved one day..." Gerson folded his arms. "But it won't be right now."

* * *

 **(Somewhere in the Void)**

"This is interesting...The one named Shamir Dreemurr is quite a formidable indirect descendant." Altershift!Gaster said.

"And somewhat arrogant, and scared easily..." Altershift!Chara said. "Look, Doctor, I'm not able to empathize fully with him."

"A part of you does empathize with him, because you know how it feels to lose something at the cost of your actions." Gaster added, folding his bony arms.

"Hmph. It would be a shame if he will keep on like this. He can do something about everything that makes him afraid!" Chara admitted as he looked at the screen before him.

"His fears are a thing we should worry about. He is truly afraid to lose his heritage, as indirectly gained as that is."

"Let us hope that maybe, maybe he won't completely lose it." Chara huffed.

 _ **Darker, yet darker,  
The fears are growing stronger,  
Will the jaguar roar in the light?  
Dispelling darkness in the sight...  
This looks interesting.**_


	18. A Mother's Lesson

**Me: On a somewhat happier note, here goes this drabble.  
**  
 **Shamir: This...  
**  
 **Me: Yeah, I know. Let's see if you can handle it.  
**  
 **Toriel: My child, you are still troubled. *ruffles Shock's hair*  
**  
 **Me: Not as before. I needed to wind out in the previous drabble.  
**  
 **Toriel: Very well, my dear child.  
**

 **Asgore: Dreemurr Drabble?**

 **Me: Start!**

* * *

 **A MOTHER'S LESSON  
**

Toriel paid close attention to Shamir as he trained on the Royal Guards' grounds, his swords managing to slice through the training dummies with precision each time, and every time he returned to his starting point, he would shock two training dummies with his lightning strikes, setting them on fire - and Toriel immediately extinguished the flames, preventing the grass from getting alight. His eyes gazed for a moment in her direction, before leaving out a sigh and preparing to unleash the Jaguar's Fury on yet another two dummies - electricity was dancing around the metal in furious vibrations, while he tightened the grasp on the handles - sweat was also starting to bead on his forehead as he left out the warcry of his signature move, an X-shaped attack tearing viciously apart one of the dummies.

 _"With each day, he is getting a better swordsjaguar."_ Toriel mused as she watched the panting jaguar, his hind legs a bit wobbly, _"Yet I can see the hesitation in his eyes. He's wavering."_

Shamir shook away his hesitation as he was ready to charge at two more training dummies, slicing effortlessly their torso as he landed on his hind legs once more. The battle he was carrying was with himself, chiding each move that felt weaker than his previous attempt, _"Get better! You cannot defend anyone if you'll be weak, if you'll let everything taint you so easily!"_ his mind was raging at him as he left out a deafening roar. _"You are a Dreemurr! Get a grip on reality, Shamir, get a damn grip -!"_

"Shamir." his mother's voice broke through all that pent rage that was boiling inside him, "Come here."

The jaguar sheathed his swords and headed towards the bench where Toriel stood, the latter inviting him to sit. She wanted to show him he wasn't worthless, as he always thought, that he could handle the pressure of being royalty in a way. Of course, it never felt easy, and it was never going to be easy - but she was the only one reaching him, the only one giving him a path - the path of a Dreemurr.

"Sans told me about your fears and wishes." Toriel began, her face reflecting itself in the jaguar's azure eyes, who were affixed on her, listening her every word. "I won't breach your privacy by touching your soul to know the cause of your fear, but you shouldn't doubt yourself."

"Look..." the jaguar sighed, as he placed a paw over hers, "I am afraid I will lose everything if I keep on being like - and I don't want it to happen."

"I understand, Shamir..." Toriel said as she gently rose his chin, "You're afraid you'll lose yourself at some point, because you keep going from mistake to mistake. You're still yourself, but only misguided. I understand, you do not wish to tarnish the name that has been given to you. Because you never had a name in the first place..."

"How do you -" his eyes widened, taken aback by the fact she somehow knew his fear, but then he remembered an old saying, that mothers do really know what is going on with their children, adopted or not.

"You are just like this flame in my paws, dearest." Toriel said as she manifested a small ball of fire in her paws. "You are beaten by the wind, which means you can shift your course if words sway you. And you can also be extinguished if you sacrifice yourself for things that you don't really believe in. But, you can also be nurtured, given attention, to grow stronger in your way. Try to call out a flame, Shamir. Try."

The jaguar closed his eyes, breathing in and out, evenly, as he focused to leave out his magical energy in his paws, until a tiny flame appeared. He then opened his eyes, and he kept away his excitement as the small flame was a beginning. "It's really a flame..."

"Very good, but keep it steady. You're wavering." Toriel said, no tone of praise or reproach within her voice.

Shamir looked at the small flame that began growing, and couldn't believe his eyes - a part of him felt like it was a dream - how could he master three elements, wouldn't he be too powerful? But when he felt his fur burning from the flame, he was convinced the flame was real, and that he was able to make use of his inner fire. The fire licked through his paws, but Toriel rapidly extinguished it.

"It's a start. But..." the jaguar hesitated, "I don't want to be considered as an overpowered monster. I'll make use of fire magic only when I'll need it to remember me of who I really am."

"Ah, I see. You want to stick to your electrokinesis and wind manipulation." the goat monster said. "Still, promise me you'll practice your fire skills too."

"I will try." Shamir nodded as he hugged Toriel, "Thank you for...staying with me. And for the little lesson in fire magic."

"We are family, Shamir. Above all else."


	19. Descent into Madness

**Me: This is the start of...**

 **Toriel: Oh goodness.**

 **Asgore: Golly...**

 **Undyne: NGAAAAH! THIS CANNOT BE!**

 **Alphys: N-no...**

 **Me: As shocked as you four are, it is.**

 **Gaster: ShockDreemurr, you really are something.**

 **Chara: They're on my taste with this drabble, oddly.**

 **All: CHARA!**

 **Me: I hope someone can forgive me for the previous drabbles, and that his plans are not hindered by my ideas.**

 **Alphys: I swear they're talking about someone familiar.**

 **Me: Shush.**

 **Final Drabble...**

 **Start.**

* * *

 **DESCENT INTO MADNESS  
 _\- Final Drabble -_**

All that Shamir remembered was that he went to bed in a rather distressed state, after he had an incredibly long talk with his parents and Gerson about everything that happened in the previous days. Gerson was true about one thing, his actions did determine the Dreemurrs' pride, and so far, if they were honest with themselves, they were somewhat disappointed by a few of Shamir's actions, like the one where he always obeyed Ratoveros like he was some sort of father to him, like the one where he didn't dare question any of his parents' orders, or even the one where he outright intimidated a few monsters because he claimed it was his right to do so.

Every word echoed through his tired mind as he left out a yawn and closed his eyes, but what was about to follow was going to leave him with marks on his SOUL, marks that would never heal, no matter what he would do. And any chance at redemption felt like it was flying away from his paws...

His dream began with darkness, surrounding him as if it was about to take away his breath. Voices could be heard whispering within the endless void before his eyes, as he looked at himself, he had only a pair of pants on him, and no way to defend himself whatsoever. His ears were perked up to listen what the voices said, and he could feel the venom within those words...

 _"Look at you. So helpless. So vulnerable..."_

"Who are you? And what do you want from me?" he heard himself saying, but it felt quite distant.

 _"Who am I? Someone who knows what's best for you..."_ the voice echoed as a white rift teared itself through the darkness, revealing a sillhouette.

"I don't think you know what's best for me." the jaguar clenched his paws, but discovered he couldn't use his magic.

 _"Like I said, I know what's best for you."_ the sillhouette approached him, resembling a white jaguar female. _"I am Jade...I am your mother."_

"N-no! My real mother is Toriel!" Shamir shook his head as he held his paws up in defense. "I hate being lied to!"

 _"Shamir Alhiroun, it is me. Your soul has been broken for too long...let me 'help' you."_ the female approached as her white paws placed themselves over his yellow-furred ones.

"My birth family's name was unknown! You're lying!" he said as he hit the sillhouette, the latter disappearing for a moment.

 _"Heheh. You think I am lying, don't you. But your birth family's name was Alhiroun. Like it or not."_ the voice said.

"Be silent! I was never an Alhiroun! I am a Dreemurr. I am Shamir Dreemurr!" the jaguar roared, but his roar was no longer as powerful as before.

 _"You are really adamant about that..."_ the voice took shape of Toriel, _"Aren't you, you filthy child? You have done everything you could do to dishonor this name."_

"N-no..." he felt himself cower as she lit up her paws.

 _"A fraud like you deserves to die."_ the fake Toriel began hitting him with fireballs, as he kept his paws up, trying to defend himself from the relentless barrage as the scent of burning fur filled the battlefield.

"You raised me since my infancy! How can you call me a fraud?!" Shamir said, panting with exhaustion and wincing from the burns.

 _"You took Asriel' rightful place."_ the sillhouette shifted to Asgore, _"And you truly deserve to be wiped away from existence!"_ the large fake monster swinged his Trident at him, cutting him all over his arms, as Shamir was on his knees.

"I am a Dreemurr, no matter what you'll beat me with!" the jaguar said, his breath hitching.

 _"Really?"_ the sillhouette shifted to Ratoveros, _"You're a feline. You don't belong with those stupid goats, they're inferior to you! Where's your feline pride, Shamir? Overthrow them, show them the value of an Alhiroun!"_

"Shut up! Shut up, Ratoveros!" Shamir roared, as he hit the dark feline, who caught his fist effortlessly.

 _"You're nothing but worthless of any name, Shamir. Even the name you have means nothing."_ the fake Ratoveros made him yelp in pain as his paw was crushed.

"All this...you think your lies..." the jaguar spat blood as he was trying to stay alive, his vision getting blurrier.

 _"Your life values nothing to the Dreemurrs. You are a huge nobody. You have no name, no SOUL...no real existence."_ the voice kept spitting its venom. _"I can give you a name, a SOUL, an existence...Let me control you. Let me show you how you should really be."_

 **"NO!"**

He awoke as his heart felt like it threatened to leave his chest, and sweat beaded on his forehead, as he was gaping for air, his throat felt completely dried. Shamir checked his arms for any burns or scars, none were there - but he felt like they were hurting - and tried to blink away his fears as he descended to the living room and made his way towards the kitchen, desperately needing a glass of water to quell away his terrified state. He drank the liquid with huge gulps, and felt like he was being watched, his backfur pricking itself up in terror, hesitating to turn to face whoever was behind him.

"Shamir, my child." Toriel's sleepy voice broke through the eerie silence of the night, "I heard you screaming."

"Just another nightmare, Mom..." the jaguar said, as he looked at her with tired eyes. "Don't worry about me."

"They seem to scare the life out of you, my dear." she said, placing her paw over his right arm. "It gives me all right to be worried."

"I'm no longer a small cub, Mom..." Shamir said as he sighed. "I'll be fine. They'll go away."

* * *

But each night was the same, the nightmare went again and again, shapes changing and threatening to kill Shamir at each encounter, the jaguar completely powerless to defend against the terrors of the night. No matter how much Toriel tried to help him, he always politely refused her, saying they'll be going away, but they never went away...

In the fifth night of loud, terrifying screams, Toriel walked in his room and immediately hugged the horrified jaguar, whose eyes were widened and looked like was about to pass out any minute. One thing was certain, she wasn't going to let this issue be ignored, because she noticed the nightmares affected him even during the day, when he was training in the Royal Guards' grounds - he was once this close to killing Ribras in a spar, and another time, he was almost on the edge of dusting Undyne with a powerful Jaguar's Fury - and Toriel felt it necessary to take this subject in her paws.

He needed to be watched over and kept away from any duty, until his streak of insanity was gone.

"Mom, I swear, I'm fine! They'll be gone..." the jaguar pouted as he folded his arms.

"Young'in, I beg to differ," Gerson said, "You look like you're going to be mad. As mad as that panther."

"My child, understand that I've asked Gerson to do this for your safety..." Toriel said, as she was looking at Shamir with fiery eyes.

"But isolating me in there -" Shamir protested, "- that's not going to help!"

"On the contrary, Shamir." Asgore said, "Isolation is what you need, for the time being."

"Dad, not you too!" the jaguar looked at the kingly monster with defeated eyes.

"You were this close to dusting Ribras and Undyne." Toriel added, her voice a little stern, "And you pose a danger to the Underground."

"We're sorry, Shamir, this isn't a course of action we want to take." Asgore said as he placed a paw over the jaguar's right shoulder, "But your nightmares haven't gone, and if you are going to let them affect you during the day, you'll end up killing someone. Ratoveros was one thing, but killing an innocent monster? I won't allow that."

Toriel, Asgore and Gerson walked at the latter's shop, and placed Shamir in the large training room of Gerson's, closing the steel door behind them. The moment the door made a loud clanking sound, Toriel began crying, while Asgore held her in his protective arms, sharing her pain, her sobs shaking her uncontrollably, as Gerson shook his head in disbelief. None of them wanted to see the young feline Dreemurr locked up, but it was all for his safety, even though his road down Ratoveros' path was just beginning.

"He will be lost..." Gerson said, "But somehow, someday, he will overcome everything."

"He's our child, even though he is a feline. I..." Toriel said, between sobs.

"He said once he is afraid of losing us, Tori." Asgore sighed, "I think that's slowly, but surely, becoming real."

"Dad? Daddy, where are you?" Undyne came by Gerson's shop, as she saw the turtle and the two Dreemurrs visibly shocked. "Where's my Dad, Shamir Dreemurr?"

"Young Undyne," Gerson said as he left out a long, heavy sigh, "Your father..."

"Will be locked away for some time, due to his attempt upon your life." Asgore completed Gerson. "I am sorry, but nobody is above our laws. Not even a Dreemurr."

"He will be okay, though?..." the fish monster asked, a little worried.

"We do not know." Toriel said as she wiped out her tears, "All we can do..."

"...Is hope that he will become better one day."

* * *

 **(Somewhere in the Void...)**

Gaster and Chara were watching the whole scene unfolding before their eyes, and the latter was quite disappointed by his parents' decision as he folded his arms, huffing in frustration, while Gaster's eyes were a little widened at their radical decision to lock Shamir away - a part of the scientist's thoughts was agreeing with the royal family, while another was compassionate about the jaguar's fate - but Chara was having none of it.

"Locking him up won't really solve anything." the human child huffed. "He needed their support, and this is how they help him?"

"He is, indeed, a threat to the Underground." the tall skeleton scientist mused, "Even though I agree, he does need their support."

"Did they lock me up when I was scaring Azzy out of his fur? Nope." Chara hissed. "But no, the jaguar is a bigger threat. He is just afraid of who he'll become! And afraid that one day he will lose outright everything! Don't they see that?"

"He still feels and looks quite empty of any feeling right now." Gaster said as the next screen showed a defeated Shamir that laid on his knees, on a blue mattress.

"He will be haunted by his nightmares night after night, and he will be alone facing them." Chara said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Alone..."

 _"That is a feeling nobody should feel, and yet...he gets the full load of_ _it._ " the human child thought as he watched Shamir crying.

"Nothing is ever without any hope, Chara." Gaster said. "He still can be redeemed."

"I think he will see himself turning into a villain, with each move he will do." the child retorted. "But he is still a hero, deep inside himself. He is one of my brothers..."

"Right now, we have learned his true family name. But he was never one of them..." the tall skeleton scientist said as he looked at the seven graves of the jaguars.

"He was a nobody at first." Chara said. "And he became a Dreemurr. Now, he's slipping back into being a nobody again..."

"Which is indeed not a good thing for him." Gaster said as he sighed.

 _ **The Jaguar started to fall from grace.  
Paws were going astray...  
But is there even a small trace...  
Of the hero that was once in?**_

 ** _This is really darker..._**  
 ** _It shows the beginning..._**  
 ** _Of a jaguar turning into a panther_**  
 ** _That cares about nothing._**

* * *

 **Me: This concludes the first series of drabbles about Altershift. I hope you all have enjoyed them so far, and this thing might get updated some other time...  
Thank you all for being with me up until now.  
**

 **See ya!**


	20. (Extra Drabble) An Illogical Dream

**Me: I realized I left them on quite a sour-ish note.**

 **Gaster: This involves me? Wow, ShockDreemurr.**

 **Me: You and the jaguar before you.**

 **Chara: This is borderline defying logic.**

 **Me: That's how this drabble is.**

 **Extra Drabble, start!**

* * *

 **AN ILLOGICAL DREAM  
** ** _Extra Drabble I_**

Shamir spent his first days of isolation trying to figure out a way to fight his nightmares, trying to understand if there was a reason why they were happening to him. Was there something he did that triggered them? Was something weighing heavily on his heart?... Gerson didn't say much to him, except bringing him every now and then food from the Dreemurrs, who were indeed feeling disappointed by their decision - but there was no other way that their son could vanquish the night terrors that plagued him.

Sans was also paying visit to the jaguar, trying to figure out his nightmares too, as the former knew how it felt to be the unfortunate monster that had to retain every memory of a genocide route. But with Shamir, it was different, these nightmares were the jaguar's punishment for certain deeds of his past - while the scientist skeleton couldn't explain why would his birth family threaten to take his friend's life, he could understand why Shamir was faced against the Dreemurrs, constantly belittled.

"you're scared your every move will disappoint them, buddy." Sans told Shamir one day, the latter standing in a meditative state.

"That's why I have dreams of Asgore and Toriel fighting me?" the jaguar replied, his voice a little wavering.

"yeah. the darkness within you wants to drive you insane." the skeleton shook his head, as he looked at a large clipboard.

Both he and Alphys were documenting his state during isolation - a precautionary measure suggested by the skeleton - just to make sure nothing in Shamir's state would be going beserk, making him even more unstable. The skeleton was surprised to see the jaguar before him a little broken, a little worried, emotions that he never saw the monster display before, but a thought crossed his mind. _"what if he never showed them because he was afraid that everyone will look at him as a weak monster? he was trying so hard to be strong before me, and now, when he's challenged against his greatest fears, he is powerless, defenseless. yet despite everything, he tries to keep himself in check by meditation."_ Sans noted down his thoughts, while Shamir was breathing evenly, in and out, his paws a little twitching.

"It will never prevail." Shamir said with certainty. "Whatever it will throw at me."

"i doubt that, buddy. i know you have strong will, but even that is prone to failure." Sans shook his head.

"I can handle the pressure." the jaguar said, his breathing a little faster than before.

"are you sure about that?" the skeleton scientist said as he noted down something else.

 _"he tries to play it cool, tries to reassure himself on every point that the darkness within him would taunt against his will."_ Sans thought before making a few steps towards the large metallic door, when Shamir let out a roar.

"I didn't say you could leave, Sans." the yellow-furred jaguar said as he was still meditating, eyes closed. "I want you to do something for me."

"eh?" the skeleton didn't bother to face Shamir. "what is it? don't make me promise-"

"I just want you to check on Undyne for me. Tell her that she should keep on training, and that she can handle the Guard in my absence."

"are you serious about leaving her-" Sans said, before he could notice, in the corner of his eye, a lifted paw from the jaguar.

"Yes, I am serious about leaving her in charge."

"okay, buddy. I will." the small skeleton said as he went away.

* * *

 **(Royal Guards' HQ, Waterfall)**

" **What?! Has Shamir gone mad?!** "was the reaction everyone on the Guard had at the news Undyne was going to take leadership of the Guard in Shamir's absence. Ribras and Rasha were somewhat surprised, but knew that she was capable, while Parvos was huffing madly, and the rest of the Guard was sharing Ribras and Rasha's stance on the matter. The fish monster herself was surprised by the decision and the responsability Shamir placed on her shoulders at such a young age, but he knew, deep down, that he could trust her on many accounts.

"I understand this comes as a drastic change to you." Undyne said as she faced all the felines in the Guard, with Sans standing next to her. "But rest assured, I'll try to make out of you the best Royal Guard, as my father intended."

"I still can't believe out of everyone experienced, he chooses **her!** " Parvos bellowed in anger, only for his SOUL to feel the sudden pressure of gravity, as Sans engulfed him.

"shut up, cat. it's shamir's decision, and if he believes in her, so you should." the skeleton said, his left eye glowing cyan.

"Sans is right," Ribras said, "while Shamir didn't take a lot of good decisions in the past, I believe this is the start of a better future for us."

"Sans here will help me figure out the Guard's mechanisms and chains of command - as he and my father often discussed Guard matters - and he will be the second in command during my lead in here."

"...got somethin' to say, parvos?" the skeleton was still engulfing Parvos in his magic, the leopard wincing under the amount of pressure.

"...N-no." Parvos uttered, and Sans let him go, as Undyne nodded strongly.

"Very good, my fellow Guards. We shall begin training tomorrow. For today, you are dismissed!" Undyne said to the feline Guards, as the group broke off to spend some time on their own, going home to their families.

"How did I do, Sans?" Undyne asked the skeleton, who was grinning at her with pride.

"shamir would be a skele-ton proud of you. i don't like he's in isolation, but he did take a good step with putting you in lead."

The news about Undyne's new leadership reached the two Dreemurrs, who felt in turn, a little proud by the fact Shamir was really better at becoming a parent. Though he was still far away from making the right calls, the right path that the two goat monsters expected out of him, while Gerson was content to tell Toriel and Asgore that Shamir would do everything in his paws to make sure he can really become a better monster during his isolation.

Was he really capable to raise to the Dreemurr name? That was the question lingering in the three monsters' mind.

* * *

 **(Secret Training Ground, at night)**

Shamir fell asleep on the mattress that served as bed for his entire isolation - this time, he also had his Delta-runed blanket that Toriel sent through Gerson - and the dream he had was strange on every point. If the darkness taunted him each night, making him yield before his fears, this night felt oddly different, as he didn't hear any voices calling out to him in the darkness that engulfed him.

Instead, a large sillhouette and a smaller one were making their way towards him, and he noticed that this time, his paws were a little charged with electricity - giving him a chance to see who was before him - but before he could even try to strike, the oddly familiar voice managed to stop him dead in his tracks.

"Shamir Alhiroun. Or should I say, Shamir Dreemurr?" Gaster said as he approached the jaguar.

"W-who are you?...And wh-who's next to you?" Shamir asked, fear crawling on his back.

"I am former Royal Scientist Wing Dings Gaster." the tall skeleton introduced himself, "And next to me, is Chara Dreemurr. One of your brothers."

"Ch-Chara?..." the jaguar immediately dropped his defense the moment he heard the name.

"Yeah, it's me." Chara said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, nice to meet ya."

"What are you two doing here? And why- why aren't you trying to attack me?" Shamir asked, curiosity filling his gaze.

"The dreamplane can be used as a connection between your mind and the Void, Shamir." Gaster explained. "We thought this is the best way we could talk to you."

"Before you ask why we took this gamble..." Chara shifted his eyes towards the tall skeleton, "It's cause we want to warn you."

"About what?" the jaguar looked at the two before him. "Maybe you can shed a light on my nightmares as well..."

"Well, about your nightmares..." Chara began, "Your fight against the darkness within won't be over, that much I can tell, brother."

"Troubling times will come ahead of you, Shamir Dreemurr. " Gaster said. "But you have to remember your core values."

"M-my core values?" the jaguar was puzzled. "Each night, the darkness within challenges those core values..."

"Those aren't your true values." Chara scoffed. "Figure 'em out, Dreemurr. You want to be one of my family, right?"

"Chara...Do not taunt him so." Gaster said, laying a hand on the child's left shoulder. "He is your brother, after all."

"Damnit, Gaster! We don't have enough time. He also has to find a way to bring us both back, which is..." Chara said, folding his arms once more.

"Shamir Dreemurr, time is running short. What we told you has to be your main worry." Gaster said. "Good luck..."

The two sillhouettes disappeared within the darkness, leaving Shamir with a lot of questions, and forcing him to open his eyes to the ceiling of the darkened training grounds. He shook his head in puzzlement before lighting a small flame for guidance. _"For the first time in many nights, this dream surely brings out a different challenge within me...One that is greater than anything the darkness would taunt me with. The challenge of finding my true self. Of finding a way to do something for the Underground...Where was that journal? I have to write the experience down...But I won't be showing them until the time is right."_

Shamir shuffled his way until he found a small, leathered notebook in which he kept entries of his dreams and each point, each question that the darkness taunted him with. But he marked this entry with _"FOR MY EYES ONLY"_ to remember that this particular dream was not brought by his fears.

It was a message.

 **Entry number ten.  
Training Grounds, must be night.**

 **Doctor Gaster and Chara passed me on a very important message.  
They said I will keep fighting the darkness, which is not quite making me happy...  
But they also said my core values are lost...  
I must have started losing them when I trained with Ratoveros.**

 **I must remember my youth...**

 **And they said I have to find a way to bring them back?...  
This I cannot really comprehend, but it's a quest.A part of me wants to ask Sans about it, but they looked like...**

 **They didn't want me to reveal anything just yet.  
**

 **I have to fight this back, fight it with everything I have.**


	21. (Ex Drabble) Forest of Forgetfulness (I)

**Me: I thought that his days in isolation were worth a shot.**

 **Shamir: Not to mention that they're making me lose it.**

 **Me: Not completely, buddy. They're a way to set things right.**

 **Shamir: Their warning still rings in my head.**

 **Me: I know. Anyway, this will be in two parts.  
**

 **I do recommend listening to Mystery Music - Forest of Forgetfulness by Derek and Brandon Fiechter, while reading those two drabbles.  
**

* * *

 **FOREST OF FORGETFULNESS  
 _Extra Drabble II, part one.  
_**

 _"Where am I?...This forest looks oddly familiar."_ the jaguar thought as his hind legs were leaving pawprints in the grass, the wind gently rustling in the canopy above, leaves falling from the trees as they landed around, a small carpet forming at their base. He felt like he could stay in here forever, it was so peaceful in here, and very much different from the ever-surrounding darkness he was faced against each night, and kept going on in the woods, enchanted by the view before him.

A laughter could be heard echoing through the woods, and Shamir was getting nearer with each step, curiosity and fear filling his SOUL. His ears were perked in anticipation, trying to figure where the sound was coming from, until he bumped into a smaller figure. The latter was a little surprised by the sudden encounter and stepped a few paces back, until their eyes shot up towards the jaguar, and smiled at them in acknowledgement, as if they just saw a familiar face.

Shamir was shocked to see a small jaguar before him, a jaguar that had the color of his fur, and his eyes, wearing a white toga over himself. The cub seemed to be relaxed around him, and placed one of their little paws on his right paw, as if trying to reassure Shamir that he was safe in here, while gently smiling. But the larger monster was still shocked, and couldn't acknowledge who was before him, until the smaller jaguar began to speak.

"I'm Shamir. Shamir Dreemurr." the cub said. "You must be an older version of me, right?"

"How do you know -" the large jaguar asked, but the cub was just smiling.

"I am you, you silly. And much like you, I've been wandering this forest for days." little Shamir said.

 _"How can he be me?...True, he is alike me, but a lot more mature, a lot wiser."_ old Shamir thought as he was still looking at his younger self in puzzlement. _"Is he a part of me I've lost?"_

"Oh, the questions in your mind are indeed well placed." little Shamir said. "And yes, I'm a part of you that you lost once. There are many in here like us."

"What is this place?" older Shamir asked. "And how do I get out of here?"

"Ah, these questions can only be answered by the others." little Shamir said. "But to reach them, you'll have to face some challenges."

"I often wonder, do you worry about being a Dreemurr?" older Shamir asked, hoping he will get an answer to this question that ate him deeply.

"No. I believe one day I will be able to handle things just right. But even if one day I understand I'll not be able to..." the little variant of Shamir said, "I'll still do everything to keep them safe."

"How can you be so casual about -" Shamir was about to say, when the little cub before him smiled once more.

"Because I love them. And I know, they're hoping of me to become a prince one day." the little Shamir said.

"And you think you'll be a prince?" Shamir asked, still puzzled of how could he be so mature back in those days.

"I think. But it's all up to what I do that determines that. Anyway, let's get a move on, and look for the others. They'll be able to answer your deeper questions."

The little cub took Shamir's paw as the two jaguars were walking through the large, dense forest before them. He was still befuddled by the fact his younger self could be so capable and head-on in a situation, even if danger could lurk in every corner - the large monster found that one of his paws was alit in flames, a thing that amused the smaller jaguar, who knew that the potential to wield fire was buried deep within, despite the fact he would mostly be an electricity wielder and a wind manipulator.

"One of the others can wield fire as much as you do." cub Shamir said. "But his prowess is beyond yours."

 _"What? He's actually able to- but that's impossible! I-"_ Shamir thought, but the jaguar cub did nothing but chuckle at the ignorance of his older self.

"Of course he's able. He has the potential to be a Dreemurr." the cub said as they were approaching a large clearing in the middle of the woods.

"When did I lose that..." Shamir mumbled under his breath, but his younger self did nothing but point towards the clearing.

"We'll discuss this over dinner, older me." cub Shamir said. "Now, let's light a fire and make ourselves warm. You'll be meeting an older-than-me version of you tomorrow. More exactly, a pre-teen you."

Shamir did as the cub said, and they were enjoying some cooked deer as questions, answers and clarifications could be heard between the two jaguars. His younger self also cleared up where they were right now, a thing that made the larger jaguar both curious and afraid of whatever the forest could be hiding, deep within. A part of him wasn't sure he wanted to know the evil sides of himself, but the cub reassured him there wasn't any evil side in him - at least not in these woods that they were in. "This forest is called 'Forest of Forgetfulness', older me. It's a forest where parts of our past linger, forgotten for centuries, and nobody dares to dream about this forest, because they're afraid of what they'll find. But you, in your search for answers, accidentally wandered in here. And unlike the others I've seen, you're not afraid to find the parts of your past that are missing."

"Maybe because I want to know why I've turned into such an evil character-" Shamir said, but the cub shook his head.

"No, you're not evil. I believe the proper term for you is 'misguided'. You're more of a neutral character, that tries so much to become a hero in everyone's eyes. And especially in Mom and Dad's eyes."

"So far I've been completely unworthy-" the larger jaguar said, sorrow in his voice.

"I said, one of the others has the potential to be a Dreemurr. Something you've forgotten." cub Shamir said.

"I suppose he can't teach me that potential, right?" Shamir said as he hung his head low.

"We are parts of you, parts that can be reassembled, if you prove to us that you really want to become whole again."

"I- I'm ready for this challenge ahead of me. But...are you certain I can prevail it?" Shamir asked, his eyes meeting the smaller jaguar's.

"You are me. You want, more than anything, to prove yourself worthy of this family you're in. So yeah, I believe."

The two then fell asleep in the woods, forcing Shamir to open up his eyes to the darkened ceiling before him - it was the second time a dream that meant something was making its' way in his conscience. The fact that he was able to reach deep within himself was encouraging, giving him a chance to follow a new path ahed of him, and more thoughts were worming up, _"One of my past selves is able to be a Dreemurr more than I can be. Whenever I lost that, I have to get it back! I have to...reassemble myself through this journey..."_ he mused, while taking his journal and started writing a new entry, marked with the same _"FOR MY EYES ONLY."_

 **Entry number twelve.**

 **This dream...**  
 **It revealed to me a different side I used to have.**  
 **More than one, though.**

 **One side of me is able to give back a lost potential.  
It feels a little selfish of me that I'm able to get it back...  
Then again, I want to prove myself.**

 **Prove that I'm strong enough to handle being royalty.  
To handle having two brothers. (I still have to figure how to bring them back!)  
To handle every single responsability in my way.**

 _ **Will I be able to prevail this?**_

 **(The next day...)**

The jaguar stood in a meditating position, as he tried to form a few flames between his paws, the way his mother taught him. It wasn't really much, but it was a small progress each day, not to mention he absolutely hated disrespecting her wishes - but he knew that his strength wasn't enough to bring himself to a better control over these. He also honed his control over lightning better, with each training dummy he would turn into ashes, and managed to bring the Jaguar's Fury to a degree where he wouldn't be downright knocked out - he would still be exhausted, but not like **that** anymore.

Gerson looked at him with skepticism, unsure what to believe, as Shamir looked like he was trying even harder to become a better fighter. He didn't see any sign, yet, of a jaguar able to handle everything thrown at him, able to take the pressure of being a Royal one. Toriel came by that day, and the old turtle let her descend in the training grounds, warning the goat monster that he wasn't in the clear just yet, and that she should be cautious.

"He is my son, no matter his condition." Toriel said as the door closed behind her, while the turtle did nothing but shrug in defeat.

Shamir was eating a slice of Butterscotch Pie, when he froze for a moment in his place, sensing his mother's presence. He immediately rose from the mattress, while she laughed heartily at how he acted in her presence. _"He looks as if his mind is all over the place."_ Toriel thought, noticing the jaguar's tired eyes as the latter left out a loud yawn before even talking to her.

"Hi, Mom." his voice broke through the silence, "It's nice to see you down here."

"Shamir..." Toriel's eyes were studying the jaguar before her, "How are you feeling? Any nightmares?"

"I still have some nightmares, every now and then." Shamir said as he shook his head. "But I also have some dreams."

"Ah, you keep record of them, I see." the goat monster noticed the leather journal next to the blue mattress.

Shamir nodded before replying, "I also do not wish to share them until I feel ready for this."

"Of course." Toriel said as she placed one of her paws over Shamir's right arm. "Your father and I decided your isolation is to last fifteen days more."

"This is the thirteenth day." the jaguar replied. "I expected you to say twenty-five days, for some reason."

"The house feels quite empty without you in it." the goat monster said as she pulled him in a hug. "Please, find a way to fight them. Defeat them, return to us."

"How is Undyne?" Shamir asked, as he relaxed in Toriel's arms. "Has everyone accepted her as a new leader until my return?"

"Sans had to teach Parvos a little lesson, but otherwise, everyone agreed to your decision." Toriel said. "And he is the second in command, do not worry."

"Good to know. Mom, how's Dad?" he asked, missing the old goat's wise talks.

"He is fine, but also worried about you as much as I am." the motherly monster said as she gently pat his head. "Listen. I don't know why you feel the need to prove yourself. What is driving you down this foolish path, Shamir?"

"The fact I was never a true part of this family." the jaguar replied, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"What got that thought in your head?" Toriel's red irises stared right through Shamir's azure eyes. "You feel yourself unworthy because you do not wield the flames like we can? Of course, this is a trait of our family, but that doesn't make you an outcast, my child."

"I still wish to be able to. I don't want to-" Shamir tried to say, but she placed one of her fuzzy paws over his muzzle.

"This is praiseworthy, that you wish to. But I don't want to see you walking down a path just because your ambition fuels you to do so." Toriel's voice rang true to his ears.

After Toriel left the training grounds, Shamir returned to his meditation, in an attempt to calm down himself, to hone his willpower better. But the discussion with his mother was still ringing true to his thoughts and heart, as if she didn't feel offended by the fact he wanted to follow in their pawprints, but at the same time, she didn't wish for him to follow this path out of his foolish feline ambition. _"My core values...Have I forgotten them completely? I wonder what tonight's wandering in the Forest will reveal to me. Younger me seemed so certain of himself, not wavering an inch."_

 _"Those aren't your true values."_

Chara's bitter words were reminding him of how much of a disappointment he was right now - ambitious, too proud, too adamant about following certain ways, certain lessons - forgetting how to be himself in the midst of chaos.

 _"Troubling times will come ahead of you."_

Gaster's words were not reassuring him either - whatever was about to befall him, will hit him so hard he will be, most likely, unprepared for it. No matter how much he tried to keep his willpower in check, his ambition, his pride... Each time he was reaching a step closer to being better, he was set back by memories of the panther scolding him for those values he had in his heart.

 _"You have no right to interfere with my actions!"_

 _"That Asgore Dreemurr...he's such a pushover! He will never fight the human himself, and stands right there, cowering in fear. While Toriel is sitting in her ivory tower, planning us ahead, telling us what to do. Hmph. And that jaguar is no better than them. He doesn't know what it means to be a true warrior, nor a true feline."_

Those memories were harsh reminders of how he allowed himself to be tarnished with values that were never true. Values like honing one's pride for every single little thing, like putting ahead of paw things that weren't really important, like reputation, like being a hero. What was the word his younger self used...?

 _"_ _I believe the proper term for you is 'misguided'."_

 _"You are certainly something, if you aim so much to kill me, just to prove you belong with the Royal Guard."_

 _"What is-"_ his eyes flew open to the large training grounds, noticing Gerson and Sans standing before him. The former was squinting his eye towards the jaguar, while Sans scratched the back of his skull in puzzlement, but Shamir did nothing else than breaking his meditation stance and shook his head in disbelief. All these reminders, were they going to stick with him?

"Young'in." Gerson broke the silence, "Sans here asked me to let you out tomorrow for something important."

"Mom and Dad know about-" the jaguar asked, but the turtle lifted one of his paws.

"They know. And they agreed because Toriel saw how badly you need a little freedom." the old warrior said. "Anyway, don't do anything stupid."

Shamir shook his head, "I won't do anything like that, Master Gerson."

"Good. Sans, I'll let you two talk. Let me know when you're finished."

Sans nodded towards the turtle, then his pinpricks were examining the jaguar at hand - Shamir looked low-spirited and tired, as if he didn't sleep quite well these few days he was sitting in here, but his eyes were also betraying concern about _something_ \- in any case, the skeleton didn't want to hesitate any longer about his reason to visit and told Shamir about his little plan to ruin one of Papyrus' shows with bad cat puns, to which the jaguar monster left out a small, unconvincing chuckle, as if he wasn't in it with all of his heart.

"buddy? you don't want to-" Sans' grin vanished instantly.

"I want to help out, of course. But my mind is truly all over the place, and I don't feel quite able to keep up punning around." Shamir sighed heavily. "You don't want a partner that will break the pun chain."

"all this sittin' in here like a monk turned you into one. good grief." Sans managed to laugh a little.

"a monk? ah, a human term." the jaguar-like monster said. "if i recall, it's a very ascetic human that lives in caves?"

"nope, in monasteries mostly. but caves go too." Sans said. "anyway, just give it a thought, and if you feel better tomorrow, tell the ol' geezer and i'll come down to pick ya."

"Sure, Sans." Shamir nodded.

 **(At night...)**

The jaguar monster was once more laying on the blue mattress, his eyes staring at the ceiling. Today he didn't train as much as before, mainly because he felt completely exhausted by all the questions, the thoughts, the reasons in his mind, and left out a loud yawn in response to said exhaustion. It didn't matter if it was night or day, he still felt drained of any hope, of any joy. _"sittin' in here like a monk,"_ Sans' words rang through his mind, to which he weakily laughed. _"Maybe he is right, I'm somewhat ascetic down here. Food is barely in, water so-and-so, but Gerson insists that all this strictness is necessary during isolation. What do I know, really? He is a better warrior on all scales than me. Maybe he went through such a thing himself - it must be his way of showing compassion."_

His tired mind took control, and he eventually fell asleep.

 _"I'm back in the forest..."_ Shamir noticed as he saw the density of trees before him, and noticed a small shadow hiding behind one of the trees. He went in that direction, only to hear a giggle of amusement as the shadow led him back to the large clearing he camped in with his younger self a dream earlier, only this time, it seemed like it had a few red flowers blooming. The shadow kept giggling, while Shamir wasn't at all pleased by this little game, and called out to whoever was hiding behind the trees, playing pranks on him.

"It's me, older me." his younger self's sillhouette revealed from the shadows. "I was waiting for you to come back. You have to meet pre-teen you, he is waiting atop of that big mountain in the distance."

"What big mountain-Oh." Shamir was about to ask, when he saw a large mountain looming above the forest, in all towering majesty. "Whatever for is he waiting in there?"

"That will be your first challenge." younger Shamir said. "To cross through this forest without any help, while not leaving yourself taunted by the voices."

"What voices?" the older jaguar asked, curiosity picking his interest.

"Oh, I don't know much about them, sadly. Only that they're not good." his younger self said. "I've seen people becoming hollow after following them."

"...I see. Will I ever see you again?" older Shamir asked, a little worried about the safety of his younger self.

"Well, I'm the first part you lost. I may seem innocent, but I'm actually your Childhood. I am the part of you that could be honest with himself and the others." the cub admitted, playing with his toga. "I am Childhood Shamir, if it's easier for you."

"Let me guess, the others are 'Young Shamir' and 'Teenage Shamir.' " the jaguar concluded.

"Something like that, yes. Good luck with your journey, old me!" the cub said as he vanished in the shape of a white light, that basked the older jaguar for a few moments.

 _"Honesty...if my childhood self was honest, wonder how my young self was, really?"_ he thought as he steeled his nerves, entering back in the forest.

 _ **What was about to loom before him was darker than he expected...**_


	22. A Dreamer's Chase and Bad Cat Puns (II)

**Shamir: Did you really have to-**

 **Me: ...Yes. I want to make sure some of the plotholes are covered.  
**

 **Shamir: *sighs***

 **Me: ...Look, I really liked the idea. And I-**

 **Shamir: It's good, but that is just dreamweaving. *sighs as he sips Golden Flower Tea***

 **Me: It's emphasizing that you're closer to a brighter future ahead.  
**

 **Shamir: If you say so.**

 **Me: I'm certain. You are getting better but - that doesn't mean you didn't try to set yourself straight during your timeline's existence. You weren't always that prick-ish as you were when you landed in the Classic timeline.**

 **Shamir: I see.  
**

 **Me: And there will be more ideas further, I hope.  
**

 **Drabble Start!**

* * *

 **A DREAMER'S CHASE AND BAD CAT PUNS  
 _Extra Drabble II, part two_  
**

Toriel and Asgore were sitting down at a table in the inner courtyard, drinking Golden Flower Tea and eating some hot Butterscotch Pie. Both looked like they were giving something a very deep thought, something they weren't quite pleased with, but they knew it was real. And that it couldn't be denied any longer - no matter how much he had grown in many regards, it was obvious that their path was not fit for their son. They were hoping he would, eventually, follow the path on his own, but with each mistake he fell into, with each display of arrogance, of lack of empathy, it was clear that their son had to follow a different way.

Asgore sighed a little as the conclusion felt bitter, yet true, "He is no longer the one we brought up." he said to Toriel, sipping tea from his large, white cup. "He looks so desperate when he tries to become again the one we tried to shape out of him."

"He is truly lost, I could see it in his eyes." Toriel said as she closed her eyes. "And yet, despite everything, he is still my child. It's something he fails to see when I look at him."

"That adamant he is, to follow our path in such a foolish way?" Asgore said, shaking his head. "He truly fails to see that no matter where life might take him, we'd still be looking out for him. He'd still be our son."

"He believes that if he bears our name, he has to prove himself each day." Toriel placed her cup of tea on the table.

"Whatever for, Tori?" Asgore's eyes shot up to the female monster. "It isn't like we'd abandon him..."

"I think that's what his mindset is. That if one day he doesn't prove himself worthy of our name, we'll send him away. But he doesn't see the silliness of such a thought." the white-furred motherly monster shook her head in disapproval.

"So, you think we can tell him to stop doing this to himself?" Asgore asked Toriel, placing his own cup on the table.

"We tried once, remember? The words haven't quite reached him. And I talked to him yesterday..." Toriel sighed as she looked at the entrance of the courtyard. "He said he never felt like a true part of our family. And no matter if I reassured him he wouldn't be an outcast, he still looked like his heart was breaking."

"He is disappointed with himself." Asgore noted. "He wishes to be stronger, better, faster, to do everything he can to protect the Underground, to not disappoint us."

"He is a fool." Toriel's heart wrenched as she relinquished the words, "He fails to see the greater picture. He looks only at the trees, not at the forest that makes it whole."

"Is that a human expression?" the kingly monster mused. "I rarely hear you saying such expressions."

"Yes, it means that he fails to understand clearly the full situation he is in." Toriel explained, in her teacher voice.

"Ah, yes, it is true, sadly." Asgore sighed.

"One thing does bring joy to my old heart..." the motherly monster said, "He kept his promise about practicing fire magic."

"He..." Asgore's eyes widened, "He...really does that? Isn't he specialized in electrokinesis and...wind manipulation?"

"Indeed he is, but he is able to wield fire as well. Small, beautiful flames for the start. He will evolve, with constant practice." Toriel said.

"But how? I have never seen him doing this." Asgore rubbed his chin in curiosity.

"One day, when I visited Shamir, I showed our son the way I see him. Like a flame, battered by the wind he can so easily summon for protection. And then I asked him to try and call out a flame in his paws. He did it." Toriel nodded.

"That shows there is still hope in the darkness." Asgore said. "He has to remain determined for this, though."

 **(Meanwhile...)**

Gerson watched as Shamir was fighting, managing to tear down the training dummies. The old turtle was impressed by the jaguar's fighting prowess, but the latter failed to understand this wasn't what everyone wanted for him. _"Young'in, everyone can see you're in deep misery. Even yer girlfriend, Catty. But she told me that she can't stay with a mentally unstable jaguar like you. Though, she said she'll wait for you. Because she cares."_ Gerson's thoughts were running in his head as he noticed how exhausted the jaguar was after a few trials and practice, and the old warrior broke through the latter's focus, in order to attract attention.

"Shamir." Gerson said, almost cutting through the air with his voice. "Come here, young one."

"Master Gerson?" the jaguar tilted his head in curiosity. "What is it?"

"I can see you're looking a little better today. Say, do you want to go with Sans?" the old turtle asked.

"Yes, I think a little freedom could be useful." Shamir nodded.

"Very well. Follow me, I'll take you to him. He is at the Waterfall station, while Parvos was sent to Hotland, as you decided previously." Gerson said. "Do you wish to visit Undyne as well? See how she is doing?"

The jaguar's eyes glinted with excitement as he nodded strongly in approval, while Gerson smiled. _"He hasn't seen her in days, of course he would feel better to see his daughter. Only a bad parent wouldn't feel any emotion about this - and he is no bad parent."_ Slowly, but surely, they were outside, in Waterfall, as Shamir's hind legs felt the humid grass and heard the river in the distance. He let Gerson lead, as he was still unable to do anything just yet - besides, Shamir felt it better to leave his swords behind, in "the isolation room", as he called it - the two noticed Sans was sleeping, his feet kicked up on the front.

"Sans." Shamir's voice called out to him. " **Sans!** "

"e-eh? what is it, paps? it's not even mornin' yet..." the skeleton mumbled as his eyesockets were half-lidded.

 **"You lazybones! Wake up."** the jaguar said, as he muffled a laughter, while Gerson was intrigued by the feline's behaviour.

"okay, i'm up, i'm up-shamir? what the-" Sans's eyesockets were widened.

"It works everytime." Shamir chuckled towards the old turtle. "Papyrus taught me this."

"anyway, ready to go?" the skeleton asked.

"Not just yet. I need to see Undyne." the jaguar lifted a paw.

"okay, buddy. i think alphys came down to see her too." Sans said, as he looked towards the Royal Guard's HQ.

"I wanted to apologize to Alphys for a long time. I didn't mean to-"

"Young'in, we know. You were blinded by your fears and nightmares." Gerson cut the jaguar off.

The three monsters headed towards the Guard's settlement, and they could hear Undyne arguing with someone, causing Sans's eyesockets to darken, while Shamir's ears were perked up in curiosity, but Gerson did nothing than shaking his head in disbelief. _"Must be the panther's son, Parvos. He's been causing much more trouble than ol' Ratoveros himself. At least Shamir has the common sense to listen up and understand what we're telling him."_ the turtle thought as they entered the training grounds, where Ribras and Rasha were busy nuzzling each other, Lesser and Greater Cat were playing around with a woolball, and Alphys was standing on a bench, reading an anime comic book - she was completely engrossed in it. Shamir noticed that Undyne took his tent as command post, and shook his head in disapproval. _"And I told her she doesn't have to camp in..."_ the jaguar thought before he heard a loud noise.

 _Crack!_

"You stupid, arrogant brat! You think you can order me around like you want?" Parvos' voice bellowed. "Your father isn't here to defend you-"

Shamir entered the tent, and when he saw Undyne collapsed over the large oak table, her face a little swollen, he couldn't contain himself anymore. **"What did I tell you about hurting my daughter, you prick!"** the jaguar bellowed in an angry tone as he grabbed Parvos by the throat.

"Dad..." Undyne shook her head as she watched the whole scene, "It's okay..."

 **"If I'm not here to defend her, that gives you total right to raise your paw at her?! You son of a-"** Shamir's grip over Parvos's neck tightened, the latter struggling in agony.

"Dad, I'm okay...Please, let him go!" Undyne rose from the ground as she held her head a little, trying to stand up.

"Y-you g-give her e-every r-right! Y-you t-think s-she c-can l-lead b-better th-than a-any o-f us?!" Parvos said, trying to gape for air.

 **"I thought I was clear, Parvos! Did you not hear me when I said I would kill your sorry tail with no hesitation, the next time you'd dare get near my daughter?"** the jaguar's eyes were filled with rage, as he tightened once more the grip.

" **Enough, Shamir!** " Gerson's voice bellowed through the yellow-furred feline's rage, while tending to Undyne and helping her stand.

"Parvos..." Shamir squinted his eyes as he dropped the almost-breathless leopard from his grasp, "You are lucky. Incredibly lucky Gerson just saved your fur. Because if it was for me..." the jaguar let out a menacing growl, " **your head would adorn the Royal Guard's entrance as a sign of punishment for anyone daring to disobey a father's rage.** "

"parvos, you'd better believe the guy." Sans added, his pinpricks completely gone. "that's like the second time you hit his daughter. come on, i'll discuss punishment with the others."

"Undyne, are you alright?" the jaguar's voice returned to normal, his eyes softening at the sight of his daughter. "I'm sorry I've gone full papa jaguar over you, as Sans likes to say."

"It's okay, but don't overdo it." the fish monster laughed a little as she went into his arms for a hug. "I know dads are a lot more protective over their daughters, as in Alphys' animes."

"'Dine, you okay?" Alphys barged in as she heard the fighting escalate. "Oh, hi Dad!"

"Come here, Alphy." Shamir said. "You look like you need a hug too."

The three stood in a hug, until Sans let out a cough to draw attention upon himself, making Gerson chuckle a little as the old turtle supported himself in his trusty cane. Shamir sighed in frustration as he couldn't stay much more, and kissed his two daughters on their foreheads, a little disappointed about the fact his freedom was on such a short leash. _"Yeah, I know, I know Sans, we have to go."_

"If it makes you feel a little better, Daddy..." Undyne said, smiling, "I think you were as badass as your mafia character in that roleplay."

 **(Later, during Papyrus's show)**

"ready, shamir?" Sans asked as they were disguised as ninjas.

"Yeah, ready. We're the ninja punmasters!" Shamir hoisted one of his paws in the air.

"i feel like i've heard that somewhere." the skeleton shrugged. "okay, time to crash my bro's show."

Everyone looked like they were somewhat bored by the show Papyrus was putting up for them, and yawns could be heard as the taller, dazzling skeleton, tried to maintain an atmosphere in there. "...AND AS I WAS SAYING, I DO WISH TO ENTERTAIN YOU MORE, MY DARLINGS!" From the crowd, monsters could be heard sighing in disappointment, as Papyrus' glamour was somewhat gone lately and he wasn't that inspirational. A few even took the liberty to say "What kind of pathetic show is this one?" as one by one, people started to leave.

But they were stopped by the voices of the two mysterious ninjas, as they were taking a position in pointing towards the ones leaving, similar with a scene from one of Alphys' animes. "Stop right there, fellas!/ stop right there, fellas! You still have to watch the Ninja Punmasters! / you still have to watch the ninja punmasters!"

The ones that were about to leave went back to their seats, awaiting eagerly to see what came next, hoping that this show could be lightened up.

"ready, junior?"

"Ready, Master!"

"i saw a purramid the other day, junior."

"Oh? Where was the mummy, Master?"

Monsters started laughing in the room from the first two puns, and more started to come in for the show.

"I've got a problem with this, Master..." Shamir said as he tried to open a jar.

"wait, i've got my thinking cat on."

More laughter ensued, as monsters could be seen rolling on the floor from the puns.

"what do you call a fine cat?"

"A pure bread cat, Master."

"hm, today i'm not looking good."

"No, but your feline good."

Papyrus was stomping his foot in anger, while everyone else was cracking with laughter, and one of the monsters said, "NINJA PUNMASTERS ROCK!"

"oh, we're rock'n'roll."

"Master, I've heard some music down the hall."

"that must be some meowtastic meowsician."

Toriel and Asgore were walking in to see the show, noticing the two strangers that were punning around, and decided to stay for the aftermath.

"Looks like the taller skeleton is getting a little hissterical."

"he must find our puns apawling. but he doesn't realise we just saved his bones." Sans let out a chuckle.

"He also looks a little furrmiliar." Shamir said.

"and he should also stay pawsitive. he can't allow himself to be depurrsive.

"Furrtunately, he has a good purrother to keep him sane."

Toriel laughed as the two kept the puns coming, until Papyrus broke the pun show with a loud speech. "ENOUGH YOU TWO! YOUR PUNS HAVE RUINED MY ENTIRE SHOW! I JUST WANTED TO ENTERTAIN EVERYONE AND YOU-"

"Chill out, Papyrus." Shamir said as he revealed himself. "We just saved your show."

"UGH, SHAMIR HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH MY BROTHER'S HUMOUR! WHAT HAS THE WORLD COME TO..." Papyrus huffed.

"i could've handled it all alone, but cat puns are better with a feline good partner." Sans said as he dropped the hood, revealing a huge grin on his skeletal face.

"SANS! I SHOULD'VE KNOWN IT WAS YOU BEHIND THE IDEA!" the taller skeleton folded his arms in disbelief.

 **(Evening, in Isolation Room aka Secret Training Ground)**

Gerson told Shamir, on their way back to "the isolation room", that he was a little giving in to his rage during the attack on Parvos. The old turtle could understand why the jaguar stepped in - any father would do so if his daughter would be hurt - though it felt like he went a little too far, Shamir could've killed the leopard. Not that Gerson was a fan of any member belonging to the panther's family, but the jaguar's nightmares could've kicked in and caused much more havoc that necessary. On the other paw, the yellow-furred feline was still shaking his head in disbelief - he wanted to crush the leopard right there for his insolence, it was the second attempt upon her life, coming from Parvos - but he then realized the old turtle was right, had his nightmares return to haunt him right there, things could've gone worse.

"I'm sorry. I feel responsible to take a stand, it's not the first time he does-" the jaguar said.

"I know, I've heard it, young'in." Gerson said as he opened the large, metal door. "But you have to stay focused."

"...And not to lose my head in it." Shamir nodded, recalling what the turtle once said.

"Exactly, young one. You know, you show great promise, if you don't let yourself astray." Gerson said as they were descending in the room.

"I'm willing to shake off the shackles Ratoveros donned on me." the jaguar said, determination shining within his azure eyes.

"Good, good. If you can do that, and not forget these lessons..." the turtle said as he began closing the door, "...You'll be alright."

 _"I trust that too, Master Gerson."_ Shamir thought, _"I trust that I shall become a better monster within myself. Time to see what the Forest has in store for me..."_ The jaguar then laid on the mattress as he did every night, and covered himself in the blanket that smelt like butterscotch, lavender and fire. The scent alone was enough to make him yawn and imagine he was home, with Toriel and Asgore, laughing away, and one day, Asriel and Chara would be with them too. _"I have to bring them back..."  
_ his tired mind was telling him as he finally drifted off to sleep.

 **(Dreamscape)**

Before him laid the vast Forest of Forgetfulness, as his Childhood self said, and he was ready to counter the voices that would call out to him. He took a deep breath as he started advancing within the forest, that was eerily silent at first, the only sound that could be heard was his legs crushing the vast carpet of leaves under. His ears were perked in anticipation, with each step and each whisper that started to be heard within the forest - his Childhood self warned him not to follow those voices, no matter how familiar they might've sounded - and it wasn't long until a voice that was just like his mothers' froze him into place.

 ** _"Come, Shamir. Come with me, my child."_**

 _"Resist it, Shamir. I know it's difficult to disobey her...But you have to stay on path!"_ he urged himself onwards as the voice kept saying things that would range from gentle callouts to furious insults, as if trying to find out his weakness, a possible way to lure him away.

 _ **"Are you deliberately disobeying me, Shamir? If you do this, I will make sure you're going to be burned to a crisp!"**_

 _ **"Do not make your mother wait for you, my child! Come with me, and stop this madness already..."**_

He felt his backfur pricking in fear, but his unwavering determination was all that kept Shamir able to wander out of the first voice's attempt at driving him away from the path ahead. _"Now I'm quite happy I decided to take on meditation. It is a way to keep myself in check, and a way to realise the dangers I can be in...Wish I was wiser as I am now."_ he thought as he realised that this must've been the influence of his Childhood self, the one that was head-on in dangers, without any fear. _"Thank you, my Childhood self."_

He advanced further in the forest, and yet another voice taunted him - this time, it was Undyne's voice. Now, being the parent that he was, a part of him was about to run and seek her, but then his thoughts stopped him in place. _"What are you doing? That isn't Undyne! Don't let yourself astray, remember what Gerson told you?"_

 ** _"Daddy...Please, help me. Please...kill the human that killed me."_**

 ** _"Daddy, where are you?...Don't abandon me like this."_**

 _"I can't leave her-"_ he was trying to convince himself to go, help Undyne, until his Childhood self's voice rang in his head, _"Whoa there, older me. I know, you must be a great Dad to her, but remember what I told ya? That the voices are deceiving? Each time you'll be ready to fall in a freakin' trap, light the way and you'll see clearer. You'll understand what I mean."_

 _"Light the way?..."_ Shamir scratched the back of his head, until he remembered. _"Fire. He means fire...That the Dreemurrs' inner fire will be my guide."_ He then summoned a small flame in his right paw, as he advanced further in the woods, now somewhat reassured of what he had to do further. Shamir was certain that the voices will taunt him with all of the familiar tones of his family and friends, and decided to outright ignore them, as he should've done right from the start. But the weakness he had for his daughters and his parents was easily exploitable, and the next challenges were about to prove if he was really able to deal with it, to reassemble himself. If it wasn't for his Childhood's self advice, he would've been lost...

 _"Let me allow myself a moment of honesty: This is the first time I take my word in a situation, the first time I listen to what my guts tell me. Well, my guts in the shape of my child self."_ Shamir chuckled. _"I think he will be here with me, even when I'm done."_ the jaguar placed his left paw over his chest, realizing he was wearing the same attire as in reality, and smiled at the sight of the blue Delta Rune. _"The symbol of my family. I am always proud to wear it...Each time I don the robes on me, I feel like my morale is uplifted, my hope is getting stronger. Monsters all over the Underground feel stronger seeing the Rune, as it reminds them of what they're really fighting for. But some took a darker outlook at it, based on some legends. Legends that Gerson told me, a few days ago..."_

His path ahead was clearing, meaning he was slowly getting out of the woods, which was a good sign. Shamir kept the fire in his right paw, as he didn't want to extinguish it until he was on the rocky path that was forming before his eyes. _"Whatever this mountain is, I'm sure it will present a challenge too. Something much difficult than ignoring a bunch of familiar voices taunting at me."_ the jaguar thought as he felt, under his legs, the rocky path of the mountain, and extinguished the small flame in his right paw. _"I assume my childhood self doesn't know much about the mountain...Otherwise he would've told me. Means I have to figure it out on my own."_

He clenched his paws for a moment, taking a deep breath before advancing further up the mountain. The sound of small rocks crushed under his legs was everything he could hear, and the sight before him showed that the forest was actually extending beyond the large, looming mountain he was on, while the skies were somewhat cloudy, with hints of a clearer azure beyond. His eyes were marveling at the landscape, and for a moment, he could feel a rather chilly wind tousling his fur - he shook his head as there was no time for admiring the view, and wandered further up the mountain.

He noticed before him two small goats threatened by a large dog monster, that wielded an axe. Both looked incredibly familiar, but at the same time, he felt something rising within him as the goats were looking with worried eyes at the dog monster. _"They are in danger! Are you going to let them be executed by the horrid monster?"_ his mind was rebelling as the dog monster gritted his teeth, and his eyes were red with fury, preparing to axe them down. _"I don't care what is going on down here, I'll rescue them!"_ Shamir thought as he ran towards the large dog monster, effectively grabbing the latter's axe, and staring at him with viciousness.

"They're the last members of the Dreemurr family..." the dog monster said, "And they have to die, by the order of the Royal Guard!"

"Leave them alone." the jaguar gritted through his teeth as he fought for control with the dog, "A Royal Guard wouldn't do this!"

"You won't stand in the way of my duty!" the black dog said, as he recovered his axe.

"What duty? Killing innocent monsters?!" Shamir blocked the axe with swiftness between his paws. "That is foolishness! Leave them alone, and do not dare harm them again!"

Jaguar and dog were fighting one another as the two goat monsters were looking at their savior in puzzlement. He was, obviously, a member of the Royal Guard, but instead of killing them like every other monster did, the jaguar saved them from their obvious death. After a good well placed kicks to the dog, the Royal Guardsman, disappeared in the nether, confusing Shamir a little - but then he turned to the two small Dreemurrs.

"Are you alright, little ones?" the jaguar leveled to the two goats.

"Thank you, Shamir." the female goat monster said, "You were brave to risk your life for two strangers."

"How do you know-" his eyes widened in curiosity, "I haven't even said who I am."

"We represent the path you wish to follow, young one." the male monster said. "We are Asgore and Toriel, in their childhood selves."

"But even if you weren't them..." Shamir said, "I would've still saved you."

"That is good to know...We have to go right now." the two goat monsters said as they disappeared in the nether.

 _"What was that?..."_ he looked in puzzlement as the two were gone, and he couldn't understand what this first challenge meant. He shook his head a little as he pressed on forward, rummaging what just happened, while noticing that the forest seemed a little smaller than before and that the skies were slowly, but surely, turning azure, as the clouds were carried away by the wind. Ahead of him there was another curious event, a dark, small jaguar was hanging by a thread as he clinged for his life, while a large, dark panther was grinning maniacally.

 _"No...is that me?...No, it can't be me."_ the jaguar blinked as he looked at the scene before him.

 _"Oh, but that is you. hanging by a thread trying to fight back Ratoveros."_ his childhood self piped in, as a small chuckle escaped him.

 _"If I save myself in here, I'm also saving his corruption. My fur is black, meaning I'm slowly turning into him..."_ Shamir sighed as he didn't know what to do.

 _"There is always another way. Figure it."_ was all that his childhood self told him before vanishing from his mind.

" **Ratoveros!** " Shamir called out the illusion before him. **"Leave the jaguar alone!"**

"This is his punishment for betraying me, for disobeying what I've taught him." the panther scoffed. "Do not involve yourself into this, stranger."

"Please..." the dark jaguar said, "...let me go. I don't deserve to be saved."

"This isn't true, young one." Shamir said, "You are just misguided. While this panther..." his eyes turned to the evil panther, "is beyond any chance of redemption. But that doesn't warrant killing him on sight. **Begone, Ratoveros. I'm not going to say this again, I will take the jaguar under my guidance.** "

"Hmph. You're lucky this stranger gives a damn about you..." the panther huffed, " **But we'll see one another again, stranger...** "

"I don't doubt that." Shamir retorted. "Take my paw, young one. Have faith in me." he said as he extended one of his paws towards the frightened jaguar.

"This went without a fight...How did you manage it? How could you convince him?" the dark jaguar hung his head low. "I'm not able to be so calm like you are...and I always make a mistake, my parents are disappointed with me..."

"Shush, young one." the yellow-furred jaguar smiled at him, "He is beyond any way to shift his views, but I can teach you a lesson. Follow your faith, your words, and listen to your parents every now and then. Their wisdom won't be lost on you."

"I-I can't thank you enough, stranger." the small jaguar hugged Shamir. "I will never forget your kindness."

 _"You passed the challenges of honor and kindness, so far. Though I think you've figured by now, they're mere illusions, set out to test some values you have lost."_ his childhood self chuckled. _"You still have one more to go before you can meet Young Shamir, as you dubbed him."_

 _"One more?..."  
_

Before him, another illusion appeared - it showed himself along with the other Guardsmen, as he swore loyalty to the Underground - the memory of the event was still ringing true within, and yet he felt that this was about this oath... _"I will be loyal to the Underground, and I shall not let anyone deter me from this path!"_ he could hear himself saying, and then the illusion shifted to a scarier, darker variant of himself, with red eyes, completely corrupted by the evil within him.

 _"No!..."_

* * *

 **Me: I will end it on a cliffhanger.**

 **Shamir: Not this again...**

 **Me: It will be fun :P**

 **Shamir: I beg to differ.**

 **Me: Don't worry. Next year will show the denouement of this adventure. ;)**

 **Happy New Year, folks!**


	23. (Extra Drabble) The Game is On, Shamir

**Me: Oh, wait. I can actually continue this story, today.**

 **Shamir: Hmph, and here they thought you'll update next year.**

 **Me: I cannot do that, you silly *chuckles* The tension of seeing how you'll prevail the Loyalty Challenge, is too much for them to bear.**

 **Shamir: Right, so you say.**

 **Me: And I hate keeping my readers on a cliff for too long.**

 **Shamir: Holy Dreemurrs! Don't tell me I have to save them all?!  
**

 **Me: It's just a saying. It means that a chapter can end on an open note.  
**

 **Shamir: Oh, and leaves them up to speculation?  
**

 **Me: Heh, you nailed it! Anyway, it will not be so easy as it was before. If you managed the two challenges, you got lucky.  
**

 **Shamir: Lucky? Hmph! I am- *ShockDreemurr places a hand over the jaguar's muzzle*  
**

 **Me: What did I tell you about being too prideful?...And don't even try to bite my hand, or I'll burn you.  
**

 **Shamir: *muffled reply***

 **Me: New Year's Eve Drabble...**

 **FIGHTING...START!**

* * *

 **THE GAME IS ON, SHAMIR  
 _Extra Drabble III_**

The shadows were looming before the jaguar as he stood there, frozen, eyes widened with terror as a completely dark jaguar caught form. The feline was wearing dark robes with a red circle with spikes surrounding it, and looked towards Shamir with red eyes and a menacing grin on his muzzle, as if determined to stop any chance for redemption for the jaguar before him. Shamir could understand that much, it was a complete opposite of himself, and yet felt somewhat defenseless against the dark feline, who began speaking with a cold voice, colder than Snowdin itself.

 ** _"You have come thus far, but this is where your journey ends, foolish one. You will never defeat me!"_** the evil jaguar smirked as a dark blade manifested itself in his right paw, and began slashing at the scared jaguar, who managed to parry the blow instinctively with his arms. But the fur on his arms was burning at the contact with the blade, and left out a yelp of pain, as he backed away from his adversary.

 _ **"You cannot escape me, so don't try running away, coward."**_ Evil Shamir taunted the shaken jaguar as he was raising his paw to call out dark lightning, but the yellow-furred feline managed to dodge a few of the sets before getting his legs zapped, forcing him to collapse to his knees as he gritted his teeth in pain. The force of his enemy was heavily outclassing him, able to use the ground as a good conductor for electricity, and he couldn't do anything but take a good look at his killer.

 _ **"I knew I could make a cub out of you."**_ Evil Shamir laughed with joy, _**"You took everything in so far, and more blows would render you unable to fight. So, before I finish you, do you have any last wish?"**_

"Make it quick, if you aim so much to kill me." Shamir said, his eyes still watching the dark jaguar.

 _ **"Ah, what dignity stems out of you."**_ Evil Shamir smirked. _**"That is impressive...so I will make it quick."**_

But just as the evil jaguar was calling out a large beam of dark electricity to destroy the weakened Shamir, the yellow-furred feline closed his eyes, keeping his hopes up despite the obvious end that was about to befall him. And just as the beam was about to strike, a dome of fire manifested itself around the jaguar, effectively deflecting the electric energy towards the evil jaguar, making the latter grunt a little from the hit as his red eyes were narrowed in fury, unable to understand what just happened.

Not even Shamir could understand what happened. The dome of fire was still surrounding him, and he looked at his arms, which seemed to...heal? As well as the legs, and felt a little able to stand on his feet once more, though he was still confused. _"What just happened? I thought I cannot wield fire to such advanced levels!"_ he thought before hearing his Childhood self laughing within.

 _"Ah, you're so clueless sometimes. The dignity you displayed, allowed you a deeper connection to your inner fire. Don't you realise, by now, that you're so able to be a Dreemurr by giving in to your true values?"_

 _"My true values..."_ Shamir thought, _"Honor, which means sacrificing yourself to ideals that are truly worth it. Kindness, which means to show mercy even to the worst of enemies before you. Dignity, which means to stay strong to your principles, even in dire times. And Loyalty, which means to keep to your oath, no matter what challenges may come ahead."_

 _"And there are so many more you have yet to discover, older me."_ his Childhood self said. _"Defeat this ugly thing before you, and then you'll be able to see your Young self."_

 ** _"You...You were just waiting for the proper moment to reveal your power! You think yourself a hero?"_** Evil Shamir shook his head, charging towards the white-robed jaguar with his dark blade, aiming to slice through, but in that moment, a blade of fire manifested itself in Shamir's right paw, blocking the attack as dark energy clashed against fire, the waves of magical energy changing the landscape to a stormy day, where thunderbolts aimed to strike both fighting felines and the wind was howling furiously, making their robes flutter violently.

"I am Shamir Dreemurr, you arrogant one." the white-robed jaguar growled, "And I am a monster as anyone else around, willing to defend his home!"

 _ **"Defending your home? Don't make me laugh,"**_ Evil Shamir chuckled. _**"your sins weigh down your heart. Your fears cover your SOUL. They will eventually turn you into me. You'll realise your true power!"**_

 **"No!"** Shamir let out a Roar of Light, as he tightened his grip on the blade of fire. **"This power corrupted you, you never knew the balance between redemption and falling!"**

 _ **"Oh, and I suppose you know?"** _ the dark jaguar chuckled as his electric blade was emitting small lightning bolts out of it.

The Delta Rune on Shamir's robes began glowing with a calm blue, as the jaguar placed his paw over it, exhaling as he felt that redemption was a possible way for him. His eyes then flew open, to reveal a furious red, while the blade of fire's intensity seemed to give out a powerful light, as he smiled before the fight that was about to unleash. On the other side, Evil Shamir was laughing madly, as his left paw started to accumulate magical energy, and his right paw was toying around with the dark electric blade, betraying impatience for the fight ahead. The wind was howling even wilder than before, while the thunderstorm was striking furiously on the mountain, making a few rocks slide in the process, forcing Shamir to divert their path in his defense with a few well placed fireballs. He clenched his left paw, as he mumbled a few words of encouragement for himself - the battle ahead was not going to be as easy as the first challenges before - and he had to come against this Evil Shamir with everything he got, even if he wasn't a huge fan of using magic.

The two jaguars left out menacing growls as they lashed at one another, blade of fire clashing against electric blade, sparks and ripples of energy cutting through the cold air as thunder sounds could be heard in the background. Shamir jumped in mid-air as he aimed for a vertical slash towards the dark jaguar, the latter parrying it effortlessly, letting it slide to the right as Evil Shamir cast an energy ball that kicked the yellow feline in the ribs and pushed him a few paces back. The white-robed feline let out a low grunt before shaking away the pain and retaliated with a fireball aimed for Evil Shamir, but the dark jaguar managed to deflect it somewhere in the air, the cold wind extinguishing it and laughed at the attempt. Evil Shamir then called out two sets of lightning strikes that the white robed feline managed to deflect towards the dark jaguar, who ducked under them, making Shamir hiss in disappointment - so far he didn't manage to land a critical blow on the evil jaguar, but there was enough time to scour for weaknesses.

Evil Shamir didn't waste any second and charged towards the white robed feline with rapid swipes to the left and right, Shamir managing to let the fast attacks slide with difficulty as the blades were clashing furiously. There was no taunt between the two warriors, as words would be wasted on either side, and Shamir called out a set of Charger Shocks that pinned the dark jaguar for a moment, giving him a moment to kick the latter in the ribs and send him down to the ground. The evil jaguar laughed, and rose with agility from the cold rocky path as he aimed a thunderstrike towards his opponent, a huge boulder moved from its' place as the strike rumbled the ground under the felines' legs.

The boulder forced both felines to jump out of the way and it could be heard crashing down a few trees in the forest on its' path - Shamir exhaled in relief that the boulder wasn't aimed for him, otherwise it would've been worse - and the dark jaguar warped out of the white-robed feline's vision. _"Where is he-nngh!"_ the jaguar thought as he felt a burn running down his spine, and noticed the evil feline behind him, grinning sadistically, but just as Shamir aimed to strike at the evil one, the latter vanished into thin air once more.

 **"Show yourself, coward!"** Shamir bellowed through the cold air, as the wind whipped across his face and the blade was barely resisting such a strong wind. **"You are no better than I am, if you hide in the wind!"**

An evil laughter could be heard in the cold whips, as Shamir's eyes were glinting with determination, his ears perked up to pinpoint where the laughter came from, but he couldn't defend himself against the rapid swipes that the Evil jaguar lashed at him, barely able to block a few of them while other blows managed to make him bleed on his arms and face. Shamir wasn't going to give up though, and roared in the cold air, breaking through the defense of his Evil self for a moment and aimed a Charger Shock at his enemy, making Evil Shamir growl in frustration as his cover was blown and there was no way the white-robed jaguar could be tricked anymore, or so he thought.

 _ **"Heheh. You've managed to break through my trick, didn't you...I think Toriel managed to make a smart feline out of you. But I know your weaknesses, Shamir."**_ the evil jaguar left out a laugh, **_"And they will be your downfall!"_**

The evil jaguar then shifted into a darker version of Toriel, a version that managed to make Shamir waver a little, as the illusion of his mother in her most corrupted form was much more intimidating than the original. Not to mention that Toriel could be like this only when she wished so, and the white robed jaguar knew he hadn't witnessed her like this in rare instances, like when he was afraid of three scary demon monsters that were picking on him.

 _"I was so afraid of their faces, of the laughter, and I cowered in fear trying to protect myself against their kicks to my face and torso. They were also larger than me, and one even tried to pierce through me with his horns, like a makeshift ram - and it was then Mother enveloped me in a dome of fire, while I was able to look at my adversaries. But then my eyes shifted to her, and I've never seen her so intimidating, her eyes narrowed in motherly anger as she placed a paw over me. 'Shamir, are you alright?' she asked me then. I nodded, and with her strength next to me, I was able to look back at my adversaries, who seemed to cower before her._

 _'Try that on my son one more time, and I'll make sure your parents punish you severely.' her voice cut through them as they immediately apologized to me. A part of me wanted to prove her I could be strong on my own, but another was thankful that she arrived when she did. Then she somewhat scolded me, but not in a cold voice..._

 _Rather in a lecturing one, meant to teach me something._

 _As if she wanted me to understand that I have to become stronger on my own, and that the ones threatening me would be mere cowards, if I learned their weaknesses."_

Now, as he was looking at the evil Toriel before him, his fur ruffled by the howling wind, realised that his evil self was not entirely true with his statement, and left out a small chuckle. Shamir's eyes were piercing right through the red eyes of his enemy, as he began speaking, "My weaknesses exist within me just to prove myself I can become stronger one day, topple them off with courage. And that I can be loyal to that goal, by pushing myself forward down a better path. You wouldn't understand..." his breath hitched a little, "how much my family means to me. And seeing them in danger will always make me braver to protect them, even if someone like you would taint their values, their heart! My duty means nothing if I cannot back it up by strength and honesty. If it is done just by strength, it's just senseless murder!"

 _ **"You think I'm not telling the truth? You're nothing without your name, honor, reputation. How can you be so calm about all this?"**_ the Evil Toriel was surprised by all the heroic speech Shamir gave. _**"I will prove you that all of your fears are true!"**_ she added with a maniacal laughter as she started shooting fireballs towards the white-robed jaguar, who managed to counter them with fireballs of his own. This time, Shamir felt like the evil entity was willing to spare more breath for conversation than before, which meant something - meant that he could learn how to eventually defeat his enemy.

"My fears are true, and they will be there..." the jaguar said as he smiled, "But that doesn't mean they will control me. I swore that I will protect the Underground with everything I have...Behold my power!"

Shamir manifested a second fire blade in his left paw, and now, with two magical swords, he felt a little more at ease. He was on familiar ground, there was no way the coward before him would win this encounter, his dignity was recovered, his strength, his honesty, his hopes, and he managed to make the blades burn with an even vivid fire than before. _"Time to end this charade of evil..."_ he thought as he focused in creating an attack with the fireblades. An aura of light and fire started to surround him as the evil Toriel tried to cover her eyes, forcing the entity to return to his original form. Shamir's eyes opened to reveal fire within them, as his blades drew a Delta Rune seal.

"In the name of the Delta Rune..." Shamir said, "... **Dreemurr Blazing Charge!** " he bellowed as his blades cut through the seal with a power attack, making the entity yell in true pain as the fire consumed it fully, and the jaguar felt exhausted after this powerful surge of magic within.

 _"Dreemurr Blazing Charge?"_ his Childhood self piped in after the confrontation, _"That attack could serve you well someday."_

 _"I don't know what caused all this."_ Shamir admitted, in honesty. He didn't know where his power came from, until-

"Howdy! You must be older Shamir, is it not?" a young Shamir came down the path, dressed in a white T-shirt, covered by a blue jacket and white pants. A blue Delta Rune could be visible on the T-shirt. The white-robed jaguar was breathing heavily, unable to reply to his young self. "Oh. Sorry, you look like you've been through rough battle. Here. I'll heal you." Young Shamir said as he placed his paws over the injuries of his older self. "There, all done!"

"Th-thanks." Shamir eventually managed to reply. "You are very good with fire magic, by the looks of it."

"Heh, and that's not all that I can do." Young Shamir replied as he let a big smile grace his muzzle. "Though, you look like a pretty decent fire user too."

"Please...I am mostly an electrokinetic and-"

"Wind manipulator." his young self said. "I know. All of you can do that, but fire? Well, I'm the only one who can. It seems you have gained access to your inner fire somehow, which is good."

"Why? Won't I be too powerful then? Power can corrupt-" Shamir tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Of course, but I use my fire magic for healing, rather than combat. But when everything else is out of paw, I will use my fire to harm my enemies."

"So far, I have regained my Honesty, my Kindness, my Dignity and Loyalty."

"Yes. But you still lack Determination, well, not saying you don't have it, but it's too small for anything. And you're not able of Compassion."

"Isn't kindness the same as-" Shamir asked, only to be cut off by a lifted paw of his young self.

"Compassion means to understand someone's misery. And you're not yet able of it. Not to mention, your teen self is full of Pride."

"Pride..." the white-robed jaguar had a bitter taste in his mouth as he uttered the word. "Why do I feel like he is not going to be as nice as you two?"

"Because he isn't, older me. Sadly, out of everyone else, I'm the only one able to be a Dreemurr." Young Shamir left out a sigh.

"You mean, you are the one who managed to..." Shamir said. "When did I lose this, young me? Being myself, and yet able to handle the responsability of being royalty?"

"I can tell you one thing. You lost it the moment you started doubting yourself."

"Ratoveros..." Shamir clenched his paws, "He made me doubt myself. He gave me a set of values that weren't mine, and each time something was rebelling inside me at his words, I-"

"Yes, his influence was and is a major reason why you're doubting yourself. You're also not able to understand Humility." Young Shamir said, shrugging.

"And neither is my teen self, is it? No matter how hard you've talked to him."

"Yeah. It means to recognize you're not superior to anybody, that you are not as strong as you think. Pride is a good thing if it's well directed, older me. If it's directed towards one's self, it becomes bad. I believe a human could explain you better all this."

"A human?..." Shamir's eyes widened.

"Yes, they know better what it means. Anyway, your last challenge will be the hardest, you'll have to go under the mountain."

"Wait, how do I...?"

"You have to drop off from the top. It won't be as bad as you think, trust me. Good luck!"

Shamir went up the rocky path as the sun was shining brilliantly over him, his face obviously tired from all the challenges he's been through, but somehow, he was ready to see where this went on. Reaching the mountain's top, he took another look at the surroundings before gazing in the abyss below, and while he didn't feel sure of what he was about to do next, he trusted himself.

He jumped.

* * *

And that was when his eyes flew open, to the ceiling of the secret training ground, clutching a little his blanket. He lit up one of his paws, and searched frantically for the journal, his mind racing. _"This was the longest incursion in that land...Whatever follows, it definitely will show why I became the jaguar I am today...And if there's a chance I'll become better someday."_

 _ **Entry number...  
Bah, to hell with it, I don't know.**_

 _ **I was deep within the Forest, and then went up the Mountain of Illusions (?)  
I saved Mom and Dad from certain execution, saved a jaguar like me from being killed by Ratoveros...**_

 _ **And I fought a part of my fears.**_  
 _ **I also met my Dreemurr self...He looked so happy, confident, even compassionate (?)**_  
 _ **He was everything I hoped to be, and I believe he is within as my childhood self.**_

 _ **He also said that my teenage self is a prideful jaguar.**_  
 _ **And that my downfall started the moment I doubted myself**_.

 _ **There's still much to understand...  
I trust that I'll be better.**_

 _ **P.S. Shamir, don't forget you've recovered Honesty, Kindness, Dignity and Loyalty.  
You have to recover Determination, Compassion and...Humility.**_

 _ **These must be my core values...**_  
 _ **And I have to make sure I don't lose them again.**_


	24. (Extra Drabble) A Temporary Reunion

**Me: A New Year, a new drabble.**

 **Shamir: What's this New Year you're talking about?**

 **Me: Oh, we'll have to bring this celebration to monsterkind. It's fun!**

 **Shamir: Eh? So it's a fun drabble?**

 **Me: Yup, it has some fun parts as well. I'll let your journey to your inner self in the background for the moment.**

 **Sans: heya, shock. you asked me to bring undyne, alphys and the dreemurrs. wanna tell me why?**

 **Me: ...Where's your brother?**

 **Sans: *shrugs* he is still huffing about the fact we ruined his show last year.**

 **Me: Wait a second. *fetches Papyrus* Papyrus! It's a new year, I do not take any huffing and puffing from last year.**

 **Papyrus: HUMAN, YOU CANNOT-**

 **Me: Well I can. I am the author of this story. And I've started the year on a good foot, so please.**

 **Papyrus: HUMAN, WHAT KIND OF SOUL YOU ARE? I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED...**

 **Me: I have no idea, Papyrus. I have Determination, I have Integrity, some Kindness, little Bravery, a lot of Justice...and a little Perseverance. And a lot of Patience. I must be a combination. But predominant, in me, are Justice, Patience and Integrity. Well, maybe Determination too. But not entirely.  
**

 **Papyrus: WOWIE, HUMAN! YOU ARE AN EXCEPTION!**

 **Sans: woah.**

 **Shamir: Wow. I never would've guessed. I understand now where my justitiary sense is coming from, that is impressive!**

 **Undyne: Integrity? So that's why my Dad tries so hard to keep true to his newfound values.**

 **Alphys: Patience? Wow...**

 **Toriel & Asgore: Shock is really a writer that is determined to make things right in the end. To see a happy ending for us all.**

 **Me: Yes *bows before Tori and Gorey* Not to mention I wish to see Shamir becoming a real Dreemurr.**

 **Asriel: As real as he can be, right, Shock?**

 **All: ASRIEL?!**

 **Me: Chara, you can also come out ;)**

 **Chara: *huffs* That's something. How did you manage to bring us back?**

 **Gaster: It's just temporary, Chara. Shock planned a big reunion just to make everyone happy. *smiles*  
**

 **Toriel & Asgore: OUR CHILDREN ARE BACK!**

 **Shamir: It's nice to see Mom and Dad happy again...for a while.**

 **Me: Holy Dreemurrs, this dialogue has taken like four hundred words. Guys, can we start already, please?**

 **All: Of course, Shock.**

 **Me: We'll also have a special guest.  
**

 **Sans: who?**

 **Me: Someone you know, Sans.  
**

 **Sans: ...?**

 **Drabble Start!**

* * *

 **A TEMPORARY REUNION  
 _Extra Drabble IV_**

Gerson took out an old album with photographs that showed everyone in the Underground back in his days...Asrador, Ragoria, young Toriel and Asgore, himself, Gaster, smaller Sans and Papyrus and the rest of the Underground inhabitants. The old turtle really missed Gaster, as he was his best friend, and the only one who knew how the Underground was in its's old days, back when Asrador and Ragoria were alive - the two goat monsters were really shining examples of how royalty should be - Toriel and Asgore strive, to this day, to keep alive their legacy, while Shamir is still wobbly on his paws about all this. He sighed at the thought the barrier was far from being broken, two more SOULS were needed, but then again, the jaguar who trained in the secret grounds was willing to do everything in his paws to break it.

They needed a miracle for their happy ending...

Somewhere else, Sans and Alphys were working on the old machine left behind by his father, Gaster, and while the taller skeleton never expressed how much he missed his father, Sans was still suffering and hoped that deep down, there could be a way to bring their Dad back. Alphys was gently patting the skeleton's back, while he shed a few tears over a photograph with three monsters in it - his brother, himself and Gaster - which said _"don't forget."_ Sans wanted nothing more than seeing his father.

"We'll fix this machine, Sans." Alphys said, her glasses shining with determination. "If there's something my Dad taught me, is that I should never give up on what I truly believe in. And I believe in our brilliant minds and ideas. I believe in our power!"

"heh, he and undyne rubbed off you, right?" Sans said, a small laugh escaping him through his tears. "man, shamir can be an exceptional leader sometimes. and undyne is looking good leading the guard, i think he will eventually let her lead, while he will take the second in command position."

"I've heard Gerson saying he changed. And in a good way..." Alphys looked towards the machine, "I hope he will stay like this from now on. I've never seen him that affectionate, close to us like never before. He is still a monster of action, there will be times when his gruff attitude will be prevalent..."

"we all wonder if he's going to pull it through. even if he fails, i hope others will come and bring him back on track. he can adapt if there's no other choice..."

"He can, and he will. He is after all, a monster with so much responsability on his shoulders..." the lizard sighed, "Being royalty, being Royal Captain, it isn't easy for him. But he tries so hard to make it work and give people hope, as much as his parents do." Alphys waved a claw dismissively. "He's a hero, to me, even if he thinks heroism means only doing warrior-like actions. He should really stay and watch 'Dine leading the Guard, he could learn a few things about humility."

"yeah, i agree. he can take that pride too far, and not in the right direction."

"Now, let's get to work, shall we? We have a machine to fix, Sans." Alphys said as she cracked her claws a little bit.

"let's hope it does what my old man designed it for." the skeleton smirked as he was impressed by the Alpha attitude of Alphys'.

 **(Meanwhile...)**

Shamir did push-ups with a large boulder on his back, under the strict supervision of Gerson's. The old turtle saw that Shamir's stamina was not that great as the jaguar liked to boast, and decided that from now on, his training will also include increasing his stamina, his focus and his defenses, while the former was pleased to hear the old turtle chanting warrior callouts as he was lifting the boulder on his back. There was nothing that set the jaguar in a good mood than training with the old warrior, as from time to time, Gerson would shout out a few lines that Shamir had to complete, and this familiar dialogue brought a smile on the turtle's face as this time, the apprentice before him was a better listener than his previous one.

"Keep up your...!"

"De-ter-mi-na-tion!" Shamir shouted in syllables, with each managing to lift the boulder better.

"Trust in your...!"

"Kind-ness!" the jaguar said as sweat dripped from his forehead.

"Have a sense of...!"

"Ho-nes-ty!" Shamir roared, as the boulder was suddenly heavier.

Gerson was, and few monsters knew, an earth magic user - meaning that he could bring out rocks at will, as this boulder was - and with each syllable of the feline, the boulder could turn either heavier or lighter. The goal of this particular training was not only to make Shamir's stamina better, but to ingrain in the feline's mind his true values, as sometimes, when the jaguar was asleep, Gerson would come down and meditate himself. One night, the turtle found the jaguar's journal, and read the last entry which surprised him greatly, but didn't want to tell Shamir just yet - he knew that the jaguar will be, at first, a little irritated by the fact Gerson did that, but eventually Shamir would forgive him for his indiscretion.

"Stay strong, with...!"

"Dig-ni-ty!" the jaguar's eyes turned red, as he toppled the boulder unexpectedly, forcing Gerson to summon it back.

"Well, well." the turtle smiled as he saw the feline prince stand tall, his paw over the blue Delta Rune. "Dignity seems to be your first, and main value."

"Master Gerson?" Shamir tilted his head. "Dignity means to not let yourself trampled over by someone else, is it not?"

"Unless you allow it so, yes." Gerson nodded. "Ah, I remembered something. Sans and Alphys want you to come down to Sans' lab."

"Whatever for?" the feline arranged his bandana and dusted off his robes.

"Didn't tell me. They said it's something important, and want to talk to you first." the turtle shrugged.

 _"This is strange...They never-Wait, is this because of my nightmares?..."_ Shamir's eyes widened for a moment before asking Gerson for permission to leave. He wasn't certain what could've made the two ask for him, but nonetheless, he hurried to catch River Person's boat, when he froze for a moment. Catty was aboard, dressed in a red blouse and white skirt, her eyes were widened in surprise to see the very jaguar she loved, and then blushed deeply as his eyes turned soft seeing her, a smile gracing his muzzle as he hadn't seen her in many days. River Person nodded for Shamir to hop in the boat, and the two felines were holding each other's paws.

"Shamir..."

"Catty..."

The air between them felt quite heavy, as they were inches apart from kissing, and River Person slowed down the boat in order to leave the two felines enjoy the time with one another longer. Catty's big green eyes affixed the jaguar in front of her, as she was studying him, and noticed Shamir was blushing from said study - he was never scrutinized under such a fiery gaze, except for his mother - but the jaguar was impressed by the sheer force Catty seemed to give off by that look alone.

 _"She's very strong willed when she wants to. And very, very persuasive..."_ Shamir thought as he could feel her paws keeping him in place, not wanting to lose him again. Then, her voice broke through the silence that set in the tunnel towards Snowdin...

"Shamir, I wanted to do something for you ever since I met you." Catty said.

"And that is what-mmph...?"

He felt her lips clashing against his as her tongue made way, fiercely conquering new territory, while straddling him and murring as paws were going down his shoulders. At first, he was shocked from her fiery display of passion, but eventually gave in and their tongues danced with one another, sometimes accompanied by gentle lip biting from her part, and his paws were holding her closer as she kept murring with pleasure. Her scent was one of peaches and jasmine, that invaded the jaguar's nostrils, and nuzzled her neckfur gently as she was still straddling him, and then bit her left ear lovingly.

"This..." he slightly panted, "this was unexpected."

Catty was looking at him seductively, a sly smile playing on her face as she placed a kiss on his muzzle, "Keep going, I didn't say you should stop!"

"Mmmhm~" the jaguar murred as he pulled her closer. "Your wish is my command."

The two were still making out, until River Person, blushing a little under their hood, announced they were approaching Snowdin, which made both felines blush as Catty straddled off him and arranged her white skirt, and he arranged his robes a little. But their eyes were still seeking one another, as both felt the make-out session was still a little too short for their convenience, Shamir smiling as his eyes were shining with lust as he kissed her right paw.

"Until the next time, my dearest Princess." the jaguar said.

"Hmhm~" Catty replied, as her purple fur was slowly turning crimson. "Yes, my dearest Purrince."

"Oh?" Shamir's eyes widened, "What is going in that cunning mind of yours?"

"Shush." Catty said in a sultry voice as she bit his lips, and then murred in his ear, "You're my Fluffytail."

"Golly..." the jaguar said as her breathing was hot, and noticed her eyes were half-lidded.

"I have to go visit Bratty. I hope Gerson will let me come down to you tonight." the purple feline pecked his left cheek. "See you, hmhm~"

River Person couldn't help a laughter as Shamir was admiring her...noticeable curvaciousness that the skirt was giving out, and eventually said, "Tra La La. The jaguar is like Asgore himself! Tra la la. Hehehe. You cannot help admiring her backsides, and you're also a fluffy pushover!"

"Please..." the jaguar chuckled as he tried to hide his blush, "I know I share a lot of my father's traits lately."

"Tra La La. Don't worry, it's very well! And she called you her Fluffytail. Ah well. A new nickname is born! Fluffybuns and his son, Fluffytail!"

"Good grief..." Shamir shook his head as he went towards the skeleton brothers' home, where Sans and Alphys were waiting for him, still trying to hide his blush and muffle his laughter as the whole situation turned a little comical. _"Thank goodness no children are in sight...Anyway, Fluffytail. They'll be calling me like that? That would be both hilarious and embarassing. Prince Fluffytail. I bet Gerson would love to laugh a little at it."_ He opened the door to the skeleton brothers' house, only to be greeted by a sight he was in a few moments ago: Sans and Alphys were...in a moment of passion.

"Ahem." the jaguar cleared his throat and looked away. "I trust that you can hold it until the matter is solved."

"we couldn't help it. you seemed to be blissful with catty out there." Sans grinned.

" **WHAT?!** " Shamir's right eye twitched, "You were..."

"don't worry, nobody's gonna hear your tail. or should i say...fluffytail? i see why she'd call you like that, pfffft!" Sans snickered. "oh wait, that's why he's so entertailing!" More laughter escaped Sans, as it was pun material, in his books, "she loves him because he has a special tailent." Sans laughed even louder, until the jaguar's eyes were red, and one of his paws was charged with lightning, "...one pun too many?"

"I swear he did this somewhere else." Alphys's eyes widened.

"SANS...YOU'D BETTER RUN." Papyrus deadpanned.

" **One more pun, and I swear your head is going to hang in the Royal Guards' entrance.** " Shamir growled.

"you really know the heads and tail of a kitty-cat, don't cha?" Sans said, as his eyes were on the angry jaguar.

" **RUN.** " the jaguar said as he started summoning lightning strikes.

"welp." the skeleton began running, followed by an angry Shamir, who looked like an ancient god of the humans in Alphys' books.

 _"Sans really went too far this time."_ Alphys and Papyrus were looking at the small skeleton chased by the jaguar, sweatdropping. While Papyrus shook his head in disbelief, literally wondering how Sans wasn't dusted yet due to his puns that touched sensitive matters, Alphys continued her thoughts, _"He just likes to tease my Dad, but never figures when one pun is really too many. Even Undyne was this close at impaling Sans with a spear, and it was Dad that calmed her down, luckily for him - but then Dad gave him a huge scolding on why fish puns should be toned down around Undyne - my Dad admitted that both can be extremely sensitive about topics that are quite personal."  
_

After a good chase around Snowdin, both Shamir and Sans returned, the former huffing in annoyance and the latter sweating from exhaustion. Papyrus looked at him in disappointment, his arms folded, while Alphys adjusted her glasses nervously and cleared her throat, making Sans nod in hasty approval as he went to her side, while the taller skeleton went upstairs, in his room, to check on the UnderNet. The jaguar then looked at the two small scientists before him - their faces were now serious as Sans started to speak.

"me and alph called you down here because we want to show something to everyone. i'll warp to the castle to bring your folks, while alph takes you to our basement."

"I'll also give 'Dine a ring, she has to see this too." Alphys said as she took out her cellphone, while shouting in the room, **"Papyrus! Come to the basement soon, okay?"**

Papyrus opened the door and replied, "JUST A MOMENT, ALPHYS. I WILL BE DOWN IN FIVE MINUTES."

"Okay, Papyrus." the small lizard nodded. "Come, Daddy." she then took Shamir's left paw in her right claw.

 **(Sans and Alphys' Lab)**

The lab used to be only Sans' workplace, but since Alphys came in his life, both shared this space and even expanded it for further use. She took great pride in what her knowledge, combined with magic, managed to produce, like a robotic body for Napstablook - at the later's request, willing to become an actor of some caliber with Papyrus' help - but her greatest success so far was obtained by working with Sans on his father's machine. Sans often said that this machine was broken, never to be fixed again, and he never knew the true purpose of the apparatus behind that curtain.

Until today, when Alphys and he managed to power it back up, after a lot of trial and error.

Shamir looked in puzzlement as various equipments were surrounding him, machinery and lab coats tossed around, while Alphys was slowly, but surely, guiding him to the machine. The jaguar blinked a little to adjust himself to the machine's light, various beeps could be heard and buttons lighting in some sequential order, and Alphys left out a small sigh as she grabbed her lizard-shaped cup, - a gift from Asgore as encouragement on her path ahead - and drank a bit of the tea that went cold. Shamir noticed this and offered to heat up her cup, as he took it in his paws, greatly surprising his adoptive daughter, her eyes widened as she received the cup a lot warmer than before.

"You can-" Alphys sipped her tea, "You can do fire magic?"

"Yes, I can. I am proud of being able to do this, but I do not want to overdo it, you know. Power can be quite corruptive, if one doesn't realise he has to be honest with himself." the jaguar said, as he placed a paw over the Delta Rune, and perked up his ears as he heard a loud _whoosh_ from behind them. "Ah, there you are, Sans."

"Shamir? What are you doing here, my son?" the two Dreemurrs had a bewildered look on their face as the jaguar was sitting casually next to Alphys.

"i asked him to come down. me and alph need to show you all somethin'." Sans said. "have you called undyne just yet, alph? and where the heck is paps?"

"I AM HERE, SANS." Papyrus huffed as he was behind the Dreemurr duo. "QUEEN TORIEL, KING ASGORE, WELCOME TO OUR HUMBLE...BASEMENT." the tall skeleton deadpanned.

"Undyne will be here shortly." Alphys said as she called her sister. "She just finished training with the Guard."

"NGAAAAH! What is it-Oh." Undyne's usually energetic callout to her sister immediately dropped as she saw the Dreemurr trio present. "King Asgore. Queen Toriel. Prince and Captain Shamir, it is an honor to see you."

"Undyne, no need for formalities," Shamir said. "Come here, my daughter." the jaguar opened his arms for a hug.

"Dad, I- I just wanted to be polite. Your family is here." the fish monster admitted as she was held tight by the white-robed feline.

"Our son is right, there is no need for formalities." Asgore said, nodding in agreement with Shamir. "We are all here as friends. Very well, Sans, what is it that needed us all in here?"

"okay, alph, let's set the coordinates and open the rift. we gotta warn you, you can't stay longer than say...thirty minutes."

"Okay, Sans." the lizard said as both started to insert some distinct coordinates, until a large rift opened itself.

The portal was quite strong and the wind seemed to howl strongly, which forced Sans to yell to the ones present, " **go in, and don't waste time!** " as everyone except Sans, Alphys and Undyne went through and the rift closed behind them. The smaller skeleton clenched one of his fists, as he wanted to go there too, while Alphys gently hugged him. "Papyrus will recognize him, no doubt about it. And the Dreemurrs will be in for quite a shock. Remember, thirty minutes until we're bringing them back."

"yeah, i know, i'll keep an eyesocket on my watch."

"Woah, you guys sound like you've seen whatever is in there." Undyne said as she scratched her head in confusion. "Anyway, I'll be in here for Dad's support when he comes back, I know."

 **(The Void)**

Darkness.

That was the first thing they could see before them, forcing Toriel, Shamir and Asgore to light up their way, while Papyrus stood closer to the jaguar. Neither could understand why Sans and Alphys would send them in here, until they heard footsteps approaching, but with all the darkness surrounding them, their fire was not sufficient to light the way. The jaguar was a little afraid, as he knew the darkness could bring out his fears, and narrowed his eyes in anticipation, only for him to eventually discern...three shapes heading towards them.

"I see something." Shamir said. "Stand ready, whatever is here-"

"Will not harm any of you." a familiar voice to the Dreemurrs rang, as the shape eventually got a face, and hands. "Welcome, Royal Dreemurrs and my son, Papyrus."

All of them were shocked as they eventually recognized Gaster, and felt somewhat at ease with his presence, but Papyrus was most moved out of everyone, "GASTER? MY FATHER...I-IS ALIVE?" the taller skeleton could say as he went to hug him, the tall skeleton scientist clumsily returning the hug.

"Yes, Papyrus." Gaster replied. "How are you, my son?"

"I-I WANTED TO LET SANS KNOW YOU'RE HERE...BUT I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO TELL HIM. HE MISSES YOU SO MUCH, FATHER."

Shamir saw two more figures approaching, and was shocked to recognize one of them at least.

 _"Chara..."_

"Howdy! What brings- Oh." Asriel stopped in his tracks, as he looked to Chara, to Shamir and then to his parents. "I don't understand..." the small goat monster's eyes were widened in shock.

"I don't understand any of this myself." Shamir nodded in understanding. "But there's something familiar about you I cannot place yet."

"It's one of your brothers, Shamir." Asgore said softly, as he looked at the small goat child before him, unable to believe his eyes, "Asriel...It can't be..."

"It can." Chara deadpanned. "Anyway, good to see you again, Shamir."

"You know Shamir, my child?" Toriel's paws went over her muzzle in shock. "Something you haven't told me, my dear?" her eyes shifted to the jaguar, whose eyes were still affixed on the goat monster before him.

"Something that will be revealed some other time, Mom." Shamir lifted his paw gently. "Chara and Asriel are here to give us three a message, while Doctor Gaster has to impart a message for Sans, through Papyrus."

"Wow, you're really smart, brother." Chara managed to smirk a little.

"I don't really know how to say all this." Asriel hesitated for a moment. "I am not that good at passing down warnings, I'm better at defending everyone from said dangers. But while in here, I've seen things that were and will be. Just, be sure to support someone. You know who, at the right moment. And...as for Chara and I, there's some hope for us too. I trust that you'll not let us down."

"Asriel...Will we ever see you again?" Toriel's eyes watered for a moment, but Shamir noticed, and he placed a paw over her right shoulder in comfort.

"Mom...Chara and I will keep hoping for something good to happen." Asriel smiled. "Try to remain determined as you've always been... And, Shamir, is it?" the small goat monster went towards the jaguar and asked for him to kneel to his level.

"You have to bring Chara and I back...You know that. But I might not recognize you at first. You must bond with me if you really want me to remember you." Asriel whispered in the jaguar's right ear, the latter nodding strongly, and then Chara approached Shamir, whispering something too.

"I don't know how you plan on bringing me back, but I hope you'll come up with a solution. Try to survive, in the meantime."

"I will." Shamir nodded.

"I am afraid you cannot stay any longer, friends." Gaster said, with some sadness in his voice. "The portal will soon open."

"We have to thank Sans and Alphys for their effort." Asgore said, as he held one of Toriel's paws. "At least, we saw our children..."

 _"And I've seen you a little happier than usual, Mom and Dad."_ Shamir thought in the background as a loud whooshing sound could be heard behind them, a large portal opening, while Gaster gently ushered the four monsters that came through for them in the Void. Chara and Asriel looked at one another, a little sad that the Dreemurrs couldn't stay a little longer, and Gaster folded his arms as a thin line formed on his face - all of them were sharing a single thought.

 _"We must get back."_

 **(Present)**

The four monsters stepped from the portal, and thanked the two small scientists that were smiling with tiredness, while Undyne nudged Shamir in one of his arms, making the jaguar laugh a little with glee. They were half-happy about this meeting, as there was some small hope for the Underground in the end - but for Shamir, the hope of the Underground extended to the Dreemurrs hope - he saw his parents willing to hug his brothers, yet unable to do so, and sighed. _"I have no idea how to bring them back at all."  
_

Everyone else left from the lab, except for Sans, who noticed someone in the shadows.

"heya there. i never thought i'd see you again." the skeleton said, as his left eye was glowing cyan.

"SMILEY TRASHBAG. WE MEET AGAIN, EH?" Flowey, the Fabulous Flower said. "DON'T WORRY, I DON'T PLAN ON MEDDLING WITH YOUR INSIGNIFICANT LIVES JUST YET..."

"i never thought you'd be different. you're the same arrogant weed as a few timelines ago." Sans shrugged, a grin on his skeletal face.

"PSH. DON'T THINK I'LL EVER CHANGE. I'M SOULLESS, REMEMBER? I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING. EXCEPT _ANGER_." Flowey said, his voice a little glitchy.

"i'll ketchup with you later, weed. do somethin' outta line...and i'll crush you, even bonetired." the skeleton clenched his left hand furiously as he warped out of the lab.

"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT..." the glitched flower said transforming into a robotic face, **"WE'LL SEE JUST HOW MUCH WOULD YOU DO."**


	25. (Extra Drabble) When Masks Fall

**Me: I felt like more Shamir / Gerson and Shamir/Undyne bonding was necessary. Don't kill me, I had no idea how to title this...  
**

 **Shamir: Eh? Haven't we-**

 **Me: Yeah, but it wasn't a training spar.  
**

 **Undyne: I trained with the Guard. They're professionals, my Dad did bring them to a level. *supplexes a boulder***

 **Me: So, yeah, I thought you need to spar a little.**

 **Shamir: That is because one time, I didn't get the chance to re-test her skills, right?**

 **Me: Right you are...**

 **Gerson: Wa ha ha! This is surely interesting...Wait, why am I-  
**

 **Me: A little background fill for you, old geezer. Let's get this started.**

 **Heroic Drabble...**

 **Start!  
**

* * *

 **WHEN MASKS FALL - BETWEEN HEROISM AND IDENTITY  
 _Extra Drabble V_**

Gerson shook his head as he kicked his feet up the stand where he sold his goods and leaned on the sturdy, oak chair as sleep slowly took him. While he wasn't willing to do such things for Catty, this time - _and only this time, wa ha ha!_ \- he allowed the purple feline to descend in the secret training grounds to stay longer with Shamir, and remembered with a small smile the time when he used to be in love with a beautiful female turtle. Unfortunately for him, she was one of the victims of the First War between the monsters and the humans, and sighed as he closed his eyes, slowly mumbling her name, _"Gertrude..."_

Nobody knew just how much the old warrior tried to cover up the fact he was once in love - especially towards Shamir - as he didn't want the jaguar to repeat the same mistake he did during the war, when something _terrible_ happened.

 **(Memory: Gerson, during the Human-Monster War)**

"Gerson, you take the Delta unit and advance in the human territory." Ragoria said as she threw a small pin where the unit was supposed to be, "And I don't have to remind you that your feelings for Lady Gertrude may cloud your judgement as a warrior."

"Your Highness," the turtle commander said, placing a paw over his shining armor, "I shall not let _anything_ befall the unit! And I am aware that Gertrude serves under the Delta unit's banner."

"As per her request, she wanted to keep you safe." Ragoria gritted a little through her teeth. "In any case, that event is in the past. She hasn't made another attempt upon Asrador since she met you."

"Ragoria?" Asrador's voice bellowed as he entered the Royal tent, "I thought you are still mad on Gertrude for what she did."

"No, Dorey. I'm not." the queen's voice said, as she softly caressed the male goat's face. "She learnt not to mess with a Dreemurr. And besides, Gerson is able to keep her in check."

"Sir." Gerson bowed respectfully towards Asrador, "With your permission, I will return to my unit."

 ** _(Later, during the battle...)_**

"Red, look out!" Gerson said to a young canine that was about to be squashed under a large branch, when the turtle promptly jumped to save her in the nick of time. "Young'in, I cannot look for your safety at all times! You have to learn to trust your instincts!" he said with a labored breath as the canine looked at him with worried eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, General. I'll be more careful." the canine placed her paw over the Delta rune. "Thanks for saving my-"

"Gerson!" a familiar voice called out to the turtle, from the direction of the woods, "G-Gerson! Help me!"

 _"Gertrude..."_

" **Gertrude!** " the turtle's eyes narrowed in fury as he started walking in the direction of the voice, crossing the woods, defending himself from the arrows that the humans shot at him from the canopy, and kept yelling in hopes to hear her voice. **"Gertrude! Where are you?!"**

"Gerson..." Gertrude's voice was audible, yet weaker than before, making the turtle increase his pace as he kept deflecting arrows shot at him and eventually sending earth spikes in their direction. He wasn't going to let her die, of that much he was sure - _he didn't want to lose her_ \- yet the Queen's words eventually caught up to him.

 _"...your feelings for Lady Gertrude may cloud your judgement as a warrior."_

Gerson eventually reached to a large clearing, where he could notice a turtle laying almost still, magical blood surrounding her, as well as a lot of arrows - he also noticed that she managed to take out a few enemies on her own - and rushed to her side, stepping in the pool of blood, even kneeling in it, as horror was written all over his face while holding her head on his lap. Her red eyes were staring in his dark ones, and smiled softly as she vaguely recognized the turtle she loved.

"G-Gers-son..." her weakned voice got to him, as he lifted her closer to his beating heart.

"I'm _not_ going to let you turn to dust, you hear me?" Gerson's voice was wavering as he held her.

"I-It's t-too late..." her smile slowly faded, "Don't...don't blame...yourself...for...it."

Those were her last words before she turned to dust, leaving behind her beautiful cashmere scarf and a large green jewel she used to wear on her dresses, and the turtle warrior picked the two items with tears in his eyes. Then, as silent fury entered his eyes, he killed every human that laid in the canopy and walked away without taking any SOUL, and saved Red a second time from being killed, the canine offering to escort him away from the battlefield, seeing his grief.

"No. I want to keep fighting." Gerson said, breaking through the fog of war, "It's what Gertrude would've wanted."

 **(Present)**

The turtle awoke to see Shamir before him, looking puzzled as to why his Master was crying, and shook his head as he tried to hide his pain. But the jaguar showed genuine concern for the old turtle, and leveled to his stature, his azure eyes staring in Gerson's healthy eye, his right paw on Gerson's shoulder - Catty's eyes widened as she didn't see such a side to Shamir before, but the jaguar softly waved her to go, as he knew that Gerson would not open up to someone else than a member of the Dreemurr family.

"Master Gerson? Are you alright?" Shamir asked as his eyes were scrutinizing the old warrior. "Sir..."

"I'm alright, Prince Shamir. No need to distress yourself over an old warrior's woes." Gerson gently took away the jaguar's paw.

"Sir, we're both warriors. And warriors share their woes of battle." the jaguar said, his voice wavering a little.

"Young'in...I can see the way you look at yer girlfriend, Catty. And I can also tell you'd be willing to die for her." the turtle began to speak, "And you'd be willing to sacrifice yourself to keep the Dreemurrs safe as well. I can see that by the way you hold your paw on the Delta Rune."

"Sir...I know that's not what you wish to tell me." Shamir said, noticing the turtle was toying around with his cane, as if uncertain if he could tell something.

"Look...not many monsters know, and those who knew are gone. I was in love with a very influent turtle monster, named Gertrude..." a thin line formed on the old turtle's face. "And...I did a grave mistake during the war. I..."

"She fought alone, and you were busy saving a young apprentice's life. You were too late to save her, and yet, you keep blaming yourself for the loss." the jaguar sighed, as he folded his arms, standing tall.

"H-How did you-" Gerson's eye widened at the accuracy with which the Prince understood his turmoil, only for Shamir to explain himself.

"I read it in one of Asrador's journals of the war. My father keeps them to help me understand the conflict better." the white-robed feline said, "I am by no means a detective. Though my knowledge is enough to help me with such a thing too."

"It's just...I do not wish to see you going through such pain, young'in." the turtle's honest gaze was affixed on the jaguar monster.

"Even if it would happen..." Shamir's eyes shifted their gaze to the ground, "I would still fight on, like a warrior would do."

"I...see." Gerson nodded.

For the first time in many months, the turtle felt that the jaguar was slowly, but surely, heading on a better path, and that he was able to uphold the Dreemurr name with honor. _"Let's hope he does stick to it..."_

 **(Two days later...)  
**

 **(Music: Heartache Remix [Undertale's Toriel Fight] by GlitchxCity)**

"Okay, prove yourself! Prove that you are better than the first time we sparred!" Shamir said, as his hind legs were digging deep in the humid grass, his swords reflecting Undyne's reflection, as she wore her battle armour, crafted by her fins for better mobility. His eyes were looking at her softly, yet he immediately narrowed them as if he was in a real battle, while on the other side of the battleground, Undyne's armour shone in the light given by the quartz crystals that were covering the entire Underground, and her red hair was gently ruffled by the wind as she summoned a blue spear, twirling it in a heroic fashion as her eyes were also narrowed on the jaguar before her.

While this was viewed as a training spar by most of the Royal Guards, Undyne promptly told Shamir that he has to hit her with everything he has, otherwise she wouldn't be able to learn anything new from him. A part of the jaguar was wrenching at the thought he truly had to use _everything_ , but he also wanted to see what her progress was at this moment - after all, she managed to effortlessly pin him to the walls of Waterfall in a moment when he was defenseless - and laughed a little as the memory felt somewhat endearing, she tried to prove herself before him. But there was something else running as well within Shamir's mind, the fact that he had to see how the journey towards his teen self ended.

 _"The fire of the Dreemurrs lies within me. Young me was a solid proof of that..."_ Shamir thought as he tightened his grasp on the swords. _"I almost feel my SOUL sinking at the thought I will meet my teenage self. I bet he's more arrogant than I am..."_

"Let's get to it. I won't let you knock me down so easily!" Undyne said as she flashed a smile in the jaguar's direction, and then, with her signature cry, "NGAAAAAHHH!" she rushed towards Shamir with her spear and swiped it to the right, almost as if drawing half a circle in slow motion, an attack which the jaguar barely parried with one of his swords before making a backflip. Seeing that her attack was too easy, she clenched her left fin in anger as spears started to erupt from the ground, Shamir parrying one or two sets before one eventually pierced through his right leg, and the jaguar didn't even flinch at the wound, while the others' eyes were widened in shock as the feline limped a little, trying to keep himself steady.

 _"The pain is somewhat bearable-ack!"_ Shamir tried to keep himself focused, as he flashed a smile to his daughter. She was also concerned about that blow, but seeing her father taking it in the stride, it meant that he was trying to remain strong before her, as she noticed the feline coating his blades with lightning, and ready for the next attack. His injury prevented him from running as fast as he could, but he didn't care as he lunged towards Undyne with his electric blades, slashing to the left and right, forcing Undyne to parry swiftly with her spear, sending each blow to their respective sides as their eyes met. His eyes betrayed his inner fire and struggle to keep up fighting, while Undyne's showed concern and pride, and saw herself forced to summon a water shield, blocking one of Shamir's well-aimed vertical slashes, his paws soaked with water as it splashed at the contact.

Between breaths, the jaguar left out one of his powerful roars, that distrupted Undyne's focus for a moment before sending out a large volley of spears towards the feline monster, who managed to avoid a few of these before getting his arms cut by the spears in the process. He then retaliated with a set of Charger Shocks that zapped Undyne and made her grunt in pain, while deflecting a few lightning charges with her spear as the rest zapped nothing else than the wet grass of the training grounds. The Royal Guards were impressed with Undyne's progress, but she was sweating as she didn't expect him to actually listen to her wish, while Shamir was also proud of her progress, and the fact she was such a cunning adversary, making whoever enemy facing her have a difficult time defeating such a warrior.

More spears came on his way, and by the looks of them, they were sharper than before, forcing the jaguar to make backflips and parry them with his swords as his eyes squinted for a moment, his vision getting a little blurry. He then noticed her getting so close, as she started swiping to the left and right, making him dodge with difficulty as the swipes made two equal bleeding cuts on his face, and then aimed to impale him, when Shamir jumped on the spear and called out a Charger Shock while holding on the spear, zapping Undyne even further, her fins a little black than before. He then picked the spear and threw her with force to his left, in a thicket of bushes, making her fall unconcious for a while - he then wondered what got into him if he did that - and ran towards her, seeing that she was bleeding from the impact.

"Undyne!... Oh no, what have I-" he was about to say, when he noticed her smirking as three spears manifested themselves under the jaguar's legs, forcing him to jump in mid-air as his robes got cut on their lower side. _"Cunning..."_ he thought as he landed a few paces back, a little wincing from the pain in his right leg, while Undyne shook her head and smiled, wondering why hasn't he used his most powerful attack until now.

But then Shamir realized that it was time to bring out the heavier attacks, and he focused half of what was left of his magical reserves for at least one Jaguar's Fury, closing his eyes as lightning started to dance around the metal. On the other side, Undyne prepared herself with a spear and a shield, standing in a position the Guard taught her, and waited for the jaguar's attack to land on her - which happened - but to his surprise, he noticed Undyne was covered by a large dome of water which was only barely touched by the Jaguar's Fury.

 _"The dome...it cannot be..."_ his eyes widened in shock at the way the shield was, and then a familiar voice piped in his head, _"As you can use the fire shield, she can use her own water shield. You two are complete opposites, yet you get along so well. You both have such great potential hidden within you..."_

 **(Music End)  
**

"Wh-How did you manage it, Undyne?" Shamir asked, bewilderment present in his voice.

"Well, this position of the Guard had more to it than I originally thought! It's called the Spartan move, according to the Guard's records. But...I call it The Warrior's True Shield!"

"Ah well, it seems it works well for you." the jaguar admitted sheepishly.

"And for some reason, I think you can use it too..." the fish monster's eyes looked to the ground in shame. "I-I think we can call this a draw. We're both strong enough, aren't we, Daddy? And...I'm sorry for hurting your leg, are you okay?"

"Heh...I'll be fine." Shamir said as he focused on healing his injured leg, but his expertise with healing magic was not that good, and left a grunt as he could feel the bone splinter even more. "Go get Toriel for me. I-I can't heal my leg."

"You can do fire magic?" Undyne's eyes were widened with surprise, "So...there's really more to you than meets the eye, huh?"

"Yeah, you could say that." the jaguar bit his lip a little as he tried to keep himself from grunting anymore.

"Someone, get Queen Toriel right now. Tell her that Prince Shamir needs assistance." Undyne's short, but clear order reached Ribras, who went straight away to bring Queen Toriel, while she went to her father, and gently pat his head, as he looked with soft eyes towards her.

"Don't worry, Toriel won't hurt you if I explain what went on." he laughed nervously. "Though she'd be a little mad at this sight-"

Toriel looked at the scene before her with both surprise and slight irritation, advancing close to the jaguar who kept his right leg straight, dried blood surrounding the entry point of the spear. She instantly placed her paws over the large wound, mending his bone in place, while her red eyes scouring for any more injuries, and then noticed cuts over his arms and face which she healed with a soft kiss on his right cheek.

"There, dearest, can you walk?" the goat monster looked at her son with some worry, as Shamir tried to get back on his feet, still a little wobbly after his spar with Undyne.

"I'm a little exhausted, Mom. Don't worry." Shamir hugged his mother, gently resting his head against her chest. "I wanted to see how Undyne progressed, so...what better way than a little training fight?"

"Was it really necessary for you to get this injured, my dear?" she kissed the top of his head as they broke the hug. "I will heal her injuries too," Toriel said as she placed her paws over Undyne's burnt scales and various cuts. "There, all done, child."

"I didn't use fire magic against her, I promise. I swore I'd never use it for fighting...except for dire situations." Shamir said, placing his paw over his chest. "But I need to learn more about the healing properties. I don't want to be unable to provide some support to my friends and allies if they are hurt! And I want to remain in fighting form..."

"This truly deserves a new lesson in fire magic, my dear Shamir." Toriel nodded.

Undyne was looking at herself, as she was a little...jealous of how beautiful Lady Toriel was, and went back to dismissing the Guard for today, as the felines were surprised by the strength their leaders showed in the spar. While Shamir and Toriel were discussing something in the background, she slowly went back to the tent her father used as a command post and dropped her armour somewhere in a corner, before laying in the campaign bed - but both Dreemurrs noticed she was acting a little off after the battle.

"I don't know how to say this, Mom..." Shamir scratched the back of his head, as he looked towards the tent. "I often believe she doesn't think she's beautiful."

"Undyne wanted to prove yourself to you that she's as strong as you want to be," Toriel said, in her-ever teaching voice, "And yet, she doesn't have a female role model to look up to. Not saying that Catty couldn't help her out with her issues, but given the fact Undyne's also a warrior..." the goat monster said as she sat on a bench, inviting Shamir as well.

"But...I'm a man. What do I know about telling her the right words?" the jaguar fiddled with his paws, his gaze shifting from the paws to Toriel and back.

"Ah, my dear Shamir, well..." Toriel smiled serenely, "Do you remember that one time a monster girl rejected you because you weren't the same species as her?"

"Y-yeah..." the jaguar's eyes looked straight into his mother's, "I was sad..."

"And I remember we went out of our way to encourage you, to tell you that one day you'll meet someone just right? And here you are, with Catty!" Toriel kept smiling as she placed a paw over the jaguar's ones.

"Do you think I can be a good support in her times of need? I want her to grow a strong, independent woman one day..." Shamir said as his eyes looked towards the tent.

"Of course you can, you are her father!" Toriel said, as she looked at her son with pride, as she rose from the bench. "Now, be a good father, alright?" the goat monster smiled as she gently ruffled Shamir's fur, the latter murring at his mother's touch.

Shamir then dusted his robes as he walked towards the large tent that used to be "home away from home", as he heard his mother once saying, and entered with care, not willing to disturb his daughter's sleep. But Undyne was not sleeping at all, and surprised him by standing on the edge of the campaign bed, her eyes following him with curiosity as the jaguar decided to take a seat on the large ottoman, inviting Undyne to come next to him. At first, the fish monster was hesitant to join him, but eventually took a seat as she left out a heavy sigh - and Shamir knew she won't be breaking the silence, so he had to come up with something.

 _"..._ _you are her father!"_ Toriel's voice rang in his head, as he looked at how distressed Undyne was, _"_ _Undyne's also a warrior..."_

 **(Music: Undertale - Bergentrückung/ASGORE Reorchestration plays slowly in the background)**

"Undyne..." Shamir said as he placed a paw over her fins, making her look in his azure eyes. "I want you to know I am here for you..."

"I know, Daddy..." Undyne replied with a small voice, "But...you can't really help me with this." she shook her head with sadness.

 _"_ _And warriors share their woes of battle..."_

"You believe you are, first and foremost, a warrior, is it not?" the jaguar softly lifted his daugher's head, who looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I have to be a Royal Captain as good as you are-" Undyne says as her eyes narrowed in anticipation, before Shamir gently shushed her.

"No. First and foremost, you are my daughter. And you are a growing young girl..." the jaguar said as a smile formed on his muzzle, "...I don't want you being a warrior overshadow who you want to become in life. And that..." he hesitated a little, choosing his words,"I believe you wish to be a strong, independent young woman, who knows what is best for herself." Shamir scratched the back of his head in embarassment. "I'm not the best at this sorts of things, Undyne, but...know I'll always have your back. I will always support you, no matter what people may say, and whenever you doubt yourself..." he smiled sheepishly, "...You can come to me, and with what little experience I have...I will try to help you push through your issues. **I promise.** "

 _"She looks as if I said something wrong. Damnit-"_ the jaguar thought before being cut off by a strong, yet tender hug from his daughter, Undyne. It seemed that his words were really reaching her, and he returned the hug with a little hesitation. _"I truly hope you'll grow strong, and confident in yourself...The same I hope for Alphys too..."_

"Thanks, Daddy...I know that must've been hard for you." Undyne beamed at him with a smile. "I'm glad I have a Dad like you, really. If you don't mind, I might talk to Lady Toriel and, maybe Catty, too. I think I have a lot to learn from both of them."

"I trust both will help you on your way. As will I." Shamir kept hugging the fish monster, and then gave her a soft kiss on her red hair. "Now, off you go, my dear. Alphys must be waiting for the 'Anime Night', as she called it."

"Yeah, she's been planning this for a good while. And Sans will crash at our place too." Undyne said, chuckling a little. "I've asked him not to ruin the couch as you sleep on it sometimes."

"Well, I won't be sleeping that much on it anymore..." the jaguar admitted, "I might take that large bedroom upstairs, after all...Catty might be moving in at a point."

"Oh, that would be cool!" the fish monster nodded. "Okay, bye Dad! And...thanks a lot."

 **(Music End)**

As he watched Undyne walking away, Shamir smiled, satisfied that he followed his mother's advice - after all, Undyne had literally nobody else closer than Alphys, and while the lizard could've helped, at some time - both needed a parental figure to look up to, and the jaguar was the right fit for them, even if he sometimes didn't really know how to be a good parent. _"I wonder if I'll be able to help my teen self, after all... My inner journey isn't over..."_

 ** _Undyne's Encouragement._**

 _ **I wrote this entry like this because I fancy it.**_  
 _ **It is a very important day for me...**_  
 _ **I helped Undyne gain confidence in her.**_

 ** _But that wouldn't have been possible without Mom's help.  
She knows better how to be a parent.  
And I strive to learn this as well..._**

 _ **"...you are her father!"**_

 ** _It still rings in my head._**


	26. (Extra Drabble) Monsters' Flaws

**Me: I'm a little shaken up.**

 **Shamir: You okay, buddy? You don't look so good.**

 **Me: This is a special drabble...**

 **Undyne: ...Revolving around insecurities.**

 **Me: Yes, Undyne. I was inspired by three songs.  
**

 **Shamir: I can't wait to see this.**

 **Me: Also, I want to credit the author of Anamnesis comic, GolzyBlazey, as Sans' memory is inspired from there.**

 **Drabble... Start!**

* * *

 **MONSTERS' FLAWS  
 _Extra Drabble V_ I  
**

It was a quiet day in the Underground...

That day, Undyne let the Guard take a pause, as she decided that they were spending far too much time training - while her father was right about a Guard's vigilance, she was right on another thing. _That they also need time to themselves,_ the fish monster thought as she smiled after ten good laps around the training grounds, as Sans looked at her, smiling and drinking a bottle of ketchup he kept hidden in his right inner pocket. He then called Papyrus and let him know he would be at home shortly, as he needed to sleep for a while - he also trained with Undyne in order to keep his defenses up, to be stronger, as his father said.

 _"DAD WANTED ME TO TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO BE STRONGER. THAT NOT ALL THE TIMES WILL BE GOOD."_ the skeleton remembered Papyrus's words as he looked at Undyne, who was now smiling and waving at him, sweat beading on her forehead. _"BUT DESPITE THIS, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE FRIENDS BY YOUR SIDE..."_ his brother's words kept coming as he chugged some more ketchup. The fish monster huffed a little as she dressed herself in a somewhat modern attire, with a white T-shirt, a black jacket, black pants and black boots and caught her hair in a beautiful red ponytail, and walked out of the Royal Guard's training grounds, waving goodbye to Sans.

The skeleton started monologuing for a little moment, as he took in the peaceful surrounding, "i can't believe just how close i was to seeing dad again. despite every damn experiment he pulled me through...even the one with his determination pills." Sans clenched his fists a little at this as the reminder of that memory coursed through his soul.

 **(Memory: Sans)**

"dad? dad, are you alright?" a young Sans asked his father, Dr. Gaster, who barely returned from a long shift at the CORE. "come on, dad, tell me what is wrong!"  
Seeing that the older skeleton would not reply, he turned back for a moment towards his toddler brother, and gingerly told him to wait here for Sans, while the small skeleton monster could do nothing but say "Sa-!" as he couldn't yet pronounce his brother's name.

Sans ran to the living room, where Gaster was watching TV, and was surprised to see his son barging in on such short notice. Nonetheless, the tall skeleton invited Sans to take place next to him, as he started apologizing for being so late once more, and that he didn't have any time to spend with him and his brother - he also began telling him about a project he was working on.

"...Determination pills. King Asgore asked me to do something so monster souls can resist a little longer in battle."

"why would you do any of this? i mean...experimenting on monsters like this?" Sans's eyesockets widened in shock.

"I actually..." Gaster sighed as he shut off the TV, "didn't get anyone to enroll in the experiment."

"that's why you stay so long every night?" the young skeleton's pinpricks shifted their gaze towards the living room's door. "why can't you ever be there for us?! do you have any idea-"

"Sans..." the tall scientist rose from the couch, "Let's discuss this over dinner, shall we?"

The scientist prepared a bowl of spaghetti for each of them, and both stood at the large kitchen table, sometimes exchanging gazes, but Sans didn't look like he was interested in eating too much. He was too upset at his father for leaving them alone each night, for making him take care of everything, treating him like a servant, like a subject...

"you're always treating me like a subject of your experiments! have you ever thought asking me-" Sans stopped for a moment, as the entire kitchen turned dark. "d-dad?..."

Gaster shot an array of bones towards his son, knocking him off the chair, and forcing Sans to cower in fear, in one of the kitchen's corners. "dad, p-please..."

"Coward...as always." the scientist gritted through his teeth. "I believe you will improve if you'll get one of the Determination pills. The concentration isn't that high, it won't make you melt."

"why would i-" the young skeleton hissed, "even want to do this?"

"Because you'll be able to protect everyone you love by doing this." Gaster said, with a stern expression.

 **(Present)**

"for what is worth, i think he was right..." Sans exhaled as he warped out of the grounds, straight in front of his home, catching the scent of spaghetti in the air. _"just in time, paps made his famous spaghetti. i hope this time they won't make me turn my stomach over...what am i even sayin'? i don't have one."_ the small statured skeleton thought as he entered the house and dashed for the kitchen, a little hungry after all the tiring day he spent with the Guard. Papyrus looked at him with curiosity, as he set the table and served the hot pasta for both, sitting at the table without saying a word as his brother gently poured some ketchup over them, but it was obvious that something was bothering Sans.

"SANS. IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WISH TO TELL ME?" Papyrus caught Sans off-guard with the question as some ketchup spilled on the table.

"gee, paps, did you really have to startle me like that?" the small scientist skeleton chuckled. "i'm fine, nothin' to worry your skull about."

"SANS, I KNOW WHEN YOU'RE LYING." the tall, dazzling skeleton said as he folded his arms. "PLEASE, QUIT DANCING AROUND THE BONEFIRE AND TELL ME."

"sheesh, bro, that was terrible. but you're getting better with your puns." Sans grinned a little before his smile vanished again.

"JUST...COME CLEAN. I HATE IT WHEN YOU'RE RATTLING MY BONES." Papyrus sighed. "I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER TOLD ME BEFORE. AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE FACT YOU KILLED PATRICIA."

"okay, okay, you win, bro, you win. i can't say no to that face of yours." Sans shrugged. "here goes nothing."

"I AM ALL EARS." the tall skeleton leaned on the chair, as his eyesockets were on Sans.

"well, you probably don't remember this, because you were small. but dad often used to experiment on me..."

Papyrus' eyesockets widened in shock as he listened to Sans' story, and eventually fell off the chair in astonishment. Of course, he was a toddler at that time, but it felt soul-wrenching just to imagine through what his brother must've gone through, and shook his head in disbelief as he approached Sans, looking at him with some sweat beading on his forehead. He realised now that it was wrong to shout at his brother all the time for being lazy, when in fact he was subjected to such horrible things, and leveled to Sans' stature, pulling him in a hug.

"...e-eh?" the small skeleton's eyesockets widened in shock as he's never seen his brother like this.

"BROTHER...I AM SORRY FOR BEING SUCH A PRICK TO YOU." Papyrus began to say, "I NEVER REALIZED JUST HOW MUCH YOU WERE SUFFERING ON THE INSIDE. ALL THAT POWER...YOU MUST'VE BEEN AFRAID IT COULD POSSIBLY KILL YOU OR ANYONE ELSE AROUND YOU. AND THAT'S WHY YOU ALWAYS CHOSE TO BE ALONE ALL THE TIMES...BUT KNOW, I'LL HAVE YOUR BACK."

* * *

 **(In Waterfall)**

While Undyne returned from the Guard training, she noticed that Alphys was crying, and immediately rushed to her sister's side, picking her up. The small lizard was disappointed that she didn't fare better with her electrokinesis, as she wished to do more for the Guard, and for improving their home, but her sister was softly cooing and petting her head as Alphys kept sobbing.

"I-I just fear I-I won't g-get any better w-with this." the lizard said as her claws shook. "D-Dad t-tried to teach m-me how to c-control my electrokinesis, b-but..."

"That's because Dad uses it for battle, unlike you, sis. You use it to make all of your nerdy stuff! Come on, you'll get better at this, trust me." Undyne smiled as she put her sister down. "Just believe in yourself, what did we tell ya? You have two warriors with you, nothing can go wrong if you put your brilliant mind to it!"

"Y-you a-are right, U-Undyne." Alphys smiled back. "Say, why d-don't you play t-the piano? I l-love when you p-play it. Even h-heard Dad h-humming along."

The fish monster's eyes widened as she remembered that Shamir did hum a familiar tune..."NO WAY! Dad loves my music too?! He really is amazing...First he encouraged me, made me see that I can grow better if I'm confident in myself, and now THIS?!"

"He d-did t-that?" Alphys' eyes widened behind the glasses.

"Yeah...he said that he wants to see me growing independent and strong!" Undyne's eyes flashed with determination, "And I bet he thought about you like this too!"

"I-I t-think so." the lizard meekly smiled. "C-come on, I-I want to hear you play."

 **(Music: Battle Against a True Hero - Short Piano Cover by Bani-chan)**

Shamir and Catty were approaching the house, paw in paw, when they heard this music, and the jaguar couldn't resist singing along, making up some lyrics, impressing Catty with how much of a good parent he really seemed to be. _"He is truly a good father to the two girls, Undyne told me of how much she wants to be a great leader like him. While Alphys wants to improve with her powers, just like he does. My Fluffytail knows exactly how to raise them."_ the purple feline thought as she listened to the somewhat baritonal voice of her lover:

 _She can play the piano, in such an amazing way, oh yes,  
She sings for the Underground, make no mistake,  
She brings out all of our hopes and dreams...  
Make them all true..._

 _And now I'll tell you something..._

 _Why do I feel so proud of her, when she sings!  
Because she inspires me all along,  
Because she believes in you and I  
Because she defends us all, even when it's dire!_

 _Because I love her,_  
 _And she's my daughter..._

 **(Music End)  
**

"Heheh, Shamir...you do sing nice." Catty muffled a laughter, but the jaguar silenced her for a moment.

"She plays the piano ever so often." Shamir said, "And it's a pleasure to catch her playing the instrument..." he then cleared his throat, "As for my singing...I guess I can say thank you, dearest."

"Shamir...are you okay?" the purple feline noticed the jaguar's aloof expression as he knocked on the door.

"Why wouldn't I be, eh? I'm okay, don't worry." Shamir tried to laugh it off, but Catty was determined to find out what really troubled him.

"Look at me, Dreemurr!" the purple feline hissed, "I know you're hiding something from me. So spit it out, right now!"

"Hi...ya?" Undyne and Alphys looked at the two felines with perplexed faces. "Are you two okay? You look like you're about to burn one another to a crisp."

"We're fine." both Shamir and Catty replied as they walked in, still eyeing one another.

Undyne shrugged as she went upstairs in her room, inviting Alphys to watch some anime on the UnderNet, while the two felines were sitting in the living room on the large couch Shamir slept on sometimes. The jaguar avoided her eyes as he didn't want to give in to what he really felt, but the purple cat wasn't having any of that - she pushed him to lay down on the couch as she was above him, a predatory and determined gaze in her green eyes - and Shamir found himself in a very, very, _very embarassing_ situation with her looking at him like that. _"Thank goodness neither Alphys nor Undyne are here..."_

"Start talking, Dreemurr!" Catty ordered as she dug her claws in his shoulders, making him jolt a little from the pain.

"F-Fine, fine..." the jaguar gave up as she kept her claws in his shoulders, "I'm just w-worried about my r-role as a h-hero."

"That's all? Psh, you're really insecure about that, you know...I-I mean, not that I'm not insecure myself." Catty laughed a little as her black hair covered a bit of her face.

"Wait, what? Why are you laughing about that?" Shamir looked at the feline as he gently touched her hair.

Catty then whispers into his ear, _Heartache, heartache, heart was gold, all it had you instant cold..._ and lightly kissed him on his muzzle. "I think you're a hero, my Fluffytail. You do everything you can to make things right..."

"Let's talk about your insecurity, then..." Shamir laughed a little as he looked at her, _"The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell...You don't know you're beautiful."_

"You shameless flatterer..." Catty murred as she kissed him on the lips once more.

Undyne and Alphys were silently laughing as they heard the conversation, and carefully crept back upstairs, wondering who was the more insecure one in their relationship, while Alphys admitted to her sister that she and Sans had that talk some while ago. They laughed as Undyne shared on the UnderNet..

 _"MY DAD IS AN AWESOME HERO, BUT HE IS ALSO VERY INSECURE..."_

"You don't th-think he'll get mad?" Alphys thought as she saw Undyne's status. "I-If he f-finds out...!"

"He will probably be mad for ten minutes then laugh at it." the fish monster shrugged. "Anyway, all this talk about insecurities definitely made him open up to her...n-not saying that I haven't been talking to her myself."

"E-Eh?" the lizard monster's eyes widened, "You and C-Catty talked?"

"Well, duh, yeah. It's something you can't help me with right now...And tomorrow I'll visit Lady Toriel." Undyne said as she shut off her computer.

"Oh, okay, 'Dine. Anyway, just letting you know I have your back, sister." Alphys said as her glasses shone a little.

"Gee, thanks Alphy!" the fish monster said as she hugged her sister. "Guess we'll support each other through dire times, yeah?"

"Y-yeah!" Alphys nodded strongly.

* * *

 ** _Entry number...?_**

 _ **I've lost count of these, but writing in the journal does help.**_  
 _ **Catty thought she isn't beautiful...what the golly is wrong with her and Undyne?**_

 _ **I promised them both I'll help if they need a jaguar's paw.**_  
 _ **Undyne told me she'll visit Mom tomorrow.**_  
 _ **I wonder what Sans is doing, I haven't talked to him lately.**_

 _ **Hopefully, he is bonding a lot more with Papyrus.**_  
 _ **He definitely needs it.**_

* * *

 **(?)**

"SMILEY TRASHBAG...YOU'LL BE LIVING YOUR WORST NIGHTMARES...AGAIN AND AGAIN... **AND AGAIN!** "


	27. Extra Drabble: (Sans)ensical Discoveries

**Me: ...  
**

 **Sans: woah, kid.**

 **Me: I-I know. Some dark stuff I did here...**

 **Sans: are you sure you didn't have any bad times?**

 **Me: No. I'm a honourable Pacifist. Even Shamir can tell you that.**

 **Sans: i'm impressed. *checks STATS***

 **Name: "ShockDreemurr"**

 **LV: 1  
HP: ?**

 **AT: 0 (1)**  
 **DEF: 0 (1)**  
 **EXP: 0, NEXT 10**

 **WEAPON: Wooden Sword**  
 **ARMOR: Red T-Shirt**

 **Sans: what the heck...**

 **Me: Yeah. Those are my Stats...**

 **Sans: still, wow.**

 **Me: Thanks.**

 **(Sans) Drabble Start!**

* * *

 **(SANS)ENSICAL DISCOVERIES  
 _Extra Drabble VI_**

They were spending hours on figuring whether the machine had more functions than creating portals, but Alphys decided to call it off due to her exhaustion. Sweat was beading on both scientists' heads as they were either taking or putting panels back, switching between wires, trying to introduce various coordinates, examining various blueprints that were left in Wingdings - and which could be read by Sans - but both monsters felt like there was literally no other function to this machine and sat on the termal-heated floor as they were struggling with ideas in their minds.

Alphys would scribble various equations on a clipboard, while Sans formed a small ball of light and started toying around with it as he was thinking on some equations himself. Unbeknownst to both, Flowey was standing in the shadows as he mentally laughed at how much the skeleton was trying to make this work, and was willing to start causing some trouble for Smiley Trashbag, as he dubbed Sans within his mind.

 _He'll never know what hit him, hee hee hee.  
_

Flowey stealthily pressed a lever, and dug himself away as his eyes shined with malevolence, remembering something he read in a different timeline, " _Pressing the leftmost lever would trigger a time traveling function, yet it has to be activated under special circumstances..."_ and yet, he didn't know where the skeleton might land. For what it was worth, Flowey couldn't care less, as Sans stood before him many, many times ago, attempting to overrule the former's control over the timeline, and he absolutely hated all the times when Sans forced him to reset. _I actually hope he ends up being dead,_ a thought crossed Flowey's mind.

He was back at his usual spot, among the golden flowers that grew over Chara's grave, and looked up at the faint light that descended from the hole above.

 _Don't worry, Chara, we're going to be together again..._

 **(The Void)**

"I can't believe Flowey just..." Chara's eyes were widened in shock as he witnessed the flower doing that. "During our talks, Gaster, you told me that this machine can teleport anyone to different timelines. Or to different _time periods_ of this timeline. Damnit, all this time-space talk is making my head hurt..."

"My apologies, young one." Gaster waved a hand, dismissively. "Indeed, anything is possible when that function is activated. I was planning to make a panel specifically for this function, for the user to be able to set where could they go, but with the CORE's melting, well..."

"I really wondered what happened to you back then. Were there any witnesses?" Chara folded his arms, lightly tapping his right foot.

"All that moment is quite fuzzy, if I'm honest." the tall, black-robed scientist said. "Perhaps he will be lucky enough to solve this mystery."

"Lucky wouldn't be the word I would be using, Doctor Gaster." Asriel piped in as he looked at Chara. "More like...unfortunate."

"Azzy, all in all...we're going to discover something new."

 **(Sans' Lab)**

The two scientists were puzzled as they heard a loud whirr powering the machine, and Sans pushed Alphys behind him, instinctively. Both lizard and skeleton looked as the machine clanked violently and wisps of steam could be seen around the edges, while Sans advanced slowly, with care, in order to stop the machine that displayed a lot of red ERROR's on its' screen. But just as Sans touched the red button that was supposed to stop the machine, he disappeared in front of Alphys in a white flash of light that forced the lizard scientist to cover her eyes.

Steam was engulfing the entire room before the machine eventually came to a stop, and Alphys blinked twice to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. Her claws were shaking as, where Sans was, there was nothing else than a distinct set of skeleton footprints in the soot left behind by the white flash, and called Undyne even if the small lizard was on the edge of hyperventilating from the panic that started to rise in her SOUL.

 _"Please...a-answer the ph-phone, Undyne..."_

 **(Feline Royal Guard HQ)  
**

Undyne answered the phone immediately, and heard only Alphys' hyperventilating breathing at the other end, which made the fish monster yell at her sister in order to make the latter snap out of her distressed state. " **Alphy! Get a grip over yourself!** Calm down, calm yourself down..."

"U-Un..." Alphys's breathing was still hitching, "U-Un...d-dyne..."

The fish monster covered the phone for a moment, as she called down for Shamir in the tent, wanting to let him know about Alphys' distressed state as well. The jaguar's distinct pitterpawing could be heard outside the tent, and then joined Undyne as his eyes were betraying confusion, while noticing that his daughter's eyes were filled with determination and concern.

"Alphy...Alphy, you still there?" Undyne asked.

"Y-Yeah..." the lizard replied, "C-come h-home...b-bring D-Dad...I..."

"Wait, give me that." Shamir said to Undyne, and then spoke to Alphys, "Dear, are you alright?"

"D-Dad...S-Sans...please, ju-just co-come home." Alphys said as she shut off the phone.

"Alphy! Alphys!" Shamir called out, but there was silence at the other end.

"She shut her phone off." Undyne folded her arms in anger. "Where the heck is Sans? I don't want to leave anyone unsupervised. And I don't want to let Parvos on lead while we're gone."

Shamir nodded, before suggesting, "I could ask Dad to come down and watch over the Guard. Though, I really hate to burden him with that right now...Wait here, Undyne."

The jaguar pulled up his phone and called Asgore, but when he discovered that his father also had his cellphone off, he tried calling Toriel. Fortunately for him, his mother kept her phone on at all times - mainly because Shamir would often request advice from her - and was relieved to hear her soothing, motherly voice at the other end of the line:

"Hello, my child."

"Mom?...Uh, I hate to bother you, but could you please tell Dad to come down to watch over the Guard? Alphys is not feeling well, and asked for me and Undyne to come." Shamir said, while scratching the back of his head in embarassment.

"Of course, Shamir. Wait a minute." Toriel placed one of her paws over the phone, " **Asgore Dreemurr!** "

"I don't think that was really necessary, Mom," Shamir chuckled.

"I brought him down here, my dearest." his mother's voice replied, with a little irritation present.

"Shamir?" Asgore's voice could be heard on the other end.

"Dad, could you please come down and watch over the Guard? I really hate to bother either of you, but..."

"No problem, Shamir." his father replied, and he could hear Toriel asking the phone back, making the feline chuckle again.

"It was nice to hear your voice, my child. Don't forget, come for dinner tonight." Toriel said, the earlier irritation in her voice gone.

"Yeah, Mom, don't worry! I love you!" Shamir said, blushing a little at the other end.

"I love you too, dearest." Toriel said before ending the call.

The white robed feline waved a paw towards Undyne, meaning that everything was set, and that they could go towards their home. Both warriors felt something was off about the lizard monster, and their concern grew as Alphys could fall unconscious due to the hyperventilation episode she was going through - Shamir suggested to improve their speed by carrying Undyne on his back, which greatly surprised the fish monster as she looked at her father standing on all fours - but he was insistent that this would help them reach their home faster.

 **(?)**

Sans didn't know for how long he was unconscious, all he knew that it felt extremely hot in here, and that a light blinded him for a few minutes before giving way to quartz crystals hanging before his eyesockets. _"why do i feel like i'm in hotland?"_ the skeleton thought as he blinked for a moment, and then noticed something else, which felt both familiar and unfamiliar to Sans, as the colour on this lab was a complete black, apart from a few purple electric lines.

 _i remember alphys used to have a lab in hotlands, but she told me the walls were white, not black...what the hell is going on in here?_

He picked himself up and shook his head, and walked towards the strange lab, breathing in the hot air of the area and feeling sweat beading on his skull. The doors automatically opened, and the air felt a lot cooler as opposed to the outside climate, but it was also darker in here, and Sans felt the need to call out a light to see ahead - something about this place felt extremely familiar out of a sudden - as he could hear someone talking down the hallway, and noticed a light fading in and out from somewhere.

Clenching his lightened fist, and reducing the noise of his footsteps, he approached the fading light and glued himself to the wall, hoping that he could discern whoever was talking, only to widen his eyesockets in shock and grit his teeth to the impossible dialogue he just heard.

"Subject Sans, or should I say, Skeleton Autonomus Neurotically Synthetic?" a glitchy Gaster's voice could be heard in the room.

"i'm not your subject, dad. i'm your son!" Sans could hear himself saying.

"Be silent, when I speak." the scientist's voice continued as he administered a controlled shock.

 _n-no...o-of all the places i could land..._ the skeleton held his skull between his hands as he ran away from the lab, tears flowing from his eyesockets, as he couldn't understand why the machine sent him in here. _i'm somewhere earlier i-in the timeline, that's obvious, but h-how do i get back?_

Void started surrounding Sans as it felt like the timeline itself was suspended, and for a few moments, he couldn't hear anything but a faint breeze of wind, and then a shuffing of - vines, perhaps? - as he clenched his lightened fist in fury. He was still confused as to why this all happened to him, until he heard a voice behind him, as the shuffling stopped.

" **YOU SHOULD BE ASKING YOURSELF HOW WILL YOU SURVIVE.** "

"wh-who's there?" Sans didn't dare to look at the one addressing him.

"WHAT, YOU DON'T REMEMBER ME? HEE HEE HEE..." the voice kept going on. "AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU'D REMEMBER YOUR FIRST FIGHT."

 _oh no, not this again...  
_

 **(Meanwhile, in the present...)**

" **What?!** " both Undyne and Shamir exclaimed, the former's face spelling complete insanity, while the latter's right eye was twitching in disbelief, as Alphys just finished telling what happened to Sans.

"I-I know, b-but my p-problem is, h-how are we going t-to tell P-Papyrus?" the lizard's claws trembled with fear.

"So, you say he vanished into a white light? Maybe he just teleported somewhere." Shamir rubbed his chin, while still keeping a confused face.

"N-no, the machine w-was still w-working. S-something else happened." Alphys shook her head.

"Wow, all this sci-fi bullshit is hurting my head." Undyne admitted as she slowly facepalmed.

"S-sorry, 'Dine." the lizard scientist looked to the ground.

"Nah, it's okay, Alphy. Dad will help you figure it out, he spent a lot of time with Sans." the fish monster flashed a big smile towards the two.

"Uh...you're giving me too much credit, Undyne. I-I'm not a scientist..." the jaguar scratched the back of his head in embarassment, sweat beading on his forehead.

Papyrus heard all the commotion from the basement, and he was descending the stairs when he caught up Shamir's words - he knew that Sans and Alphys were usually down there, not the jaguar - that idea alone was enough to make him figure something must've happened, if Shamir was down here with Alphys. But when he saw Undyne too, his mind instantly blocked itself, unable to think anything anymore, as for some time, Papyrus was slowly feeling something for Undyne, and he often discarded it as a crush.

"Hello, Underground to Papyrus!" Undyne said as she waved her fins in front of the tall skeleton, "Are you even in here?!"

"S-SORRY, UNDYNE. I-I..." the tall skeleton allowed a faint blush to cover his bonecheeks, "I MUST'VE ZONED OUT FOR A MOMENT."

"It's alright, Papyrus," Shamir waved his right paw dismissively, "I can understand."

"WHY ARE YOU ALL GATHERED DOWN HERE? AND WHERE IS SANS?"

"U-uh, a-about that, Papyrus..."

 _Your brother has disappeared._

Those very four words made Papyrus's legs to tremble, as he couldn't believe that his brother was gone. He excused himself towards the three monsters in the basement as he walked out of the house, in the chilly air of Snowdin. He started walking towards Grillby's, something he never did in the entire time he and his brother were together, as he invoked various excuses, but for the first time ever - he could understand why Sans came to this place.

 _HE THOUGHT THAT THIS PLACE HELPED HIM THINK BETTER..._ the tall skeleton mused as he opened the restaurant's door, only to see Lesser Cat, Greater Cat, Ribras and Rasha, even Parvos, sitting around a table and laughing away at their discussion, but they stopped when they noticed Papyrus in the doorframe. At the barstand, Grillby was casually wiping another glass of whiskey and he seemed pretty focused on it, while the other monsters inside did nothing but lightly greet Papyrus, who chose to sit at the barstand, his face betraying sadness and confusion.

Grillby was also surprised to see Papyrus standing in here, and asked the tall skeleton what would he want to eat or drink - he surprised everyone when he asked for some whiskey - every monster's eye was on the skeleton, as they could pick up he wasn't feeling well. Lesser Cat even came by, gently nudging one of the skeleton's bony hands, asking to be pet, and Papyrus found himself unable to resist the request - in response, the cat monster slowly purred, and the skeleton smiled.

"Here you go..." Grillby said, "one glass of whiskey. Tell me, what's goin' on?"

"SANS..." Papyrus said, and then chugged his glass of whiskey, "SANS HAS DISAPPEARED."

 **(?)**

The flower laughed maniacally, before launching a set of vines towards Sans, who warped out of their way as his left eye began glowing cyan. Flowey then sent arrays of "friendliness pellets" in various shapes and forms, forcing Sans to dodge them and protect himself with walls of bones as each shape was deadlier than the previous one. The skeleton then summoned two Gaster Blasters and discharged their signature blue ray towards the menacing flower, who dug his way out of the blasters and flashed a wink towards the frustrated skeleton, also surprised that he was better at fighting than the last time.

"HEE HEE HEE...YOU ARE GETTING BETTER, SMILEY TRASHBAG. BUT NOT ENOUGH!" the flower said as he started shifting into his Omega Flowey aspect.

Sounds of vines erupting could be heard, as well as various things growing - things that Sans didn't want to imagine right now - until eventually, the monstruous form of Flowey appeared before him, psychotic eyes looking at Sans as the flower's maniacal laughter was a tone deeper and much more menacing than before. He also forced Sans' SOUL out of him, encasing the skeleton in a small Bullet Board, the skeleton feeling almost powerless to the manipulative powers of his adversary, as his DETERMINATION wasn't as high as in Flowey.

"well, time to box me out, right?" Sans grinned, "i guess that's how it's going to be..."

"WELL...I LOVE PLAYING WITH MY PREY," Flowey said in his deep voice, "AND KILLING YOU RIGHT NOW WOULD BE TOO EASY."

"so, how are you going to torture me? by bowring me to death?" the skeleton chuckled.

"UGH, YOU AND YOUR STUPID PUNS!" the flower roared, "I WILL SEND YOU TO ANOTHER TIMELINE...YOU'LL **LOVE** IT! "

The last thing Sans could hear was the flower's evil laughter before collapsing to the ground...


	28. (Sans)ensical Discoveries, Part Two

**Me: ...**

 **Undyne: NGAAAAH, punk! Where's Sans?**

 **Me: ...**

 **Shamir: Shock? You don't have anything to say?**

 **Alphys: I swear, Shock, if you have anything to do with this...**

 **Me: ...**

 **Papyrus: THE STAR OF THE UNDERGROUND WISHES TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS BROTHER. NOW!**

 **Me: ...**

 **Chara: Wow, they're really pressuring the fellow.**

 **Asriel: The author will pull it off nicely.**

 **Me: ...Thanks for believing in me, Azzy.**

 **Shamir: Who're you talking to? Answer me, where's Sans!**

 **Me: ...You'll find out soon enough. Plus, I haven't seen this AU before, some of you may figure it out.**

 **Also, a small warning, as there is talk about alcohol drinking, later in this chapter.  
**

* * *

 **(SANS)ENSICAL DISCOVERIES  
** ** _\- part two -_**

 _"_ _Even in an age unlike our own, someone will remember who we are."_

A flash of light engulfed Sans as behind him, he could still hear Flowey's maniacal laughter, and wondered just how much power was that flower really hiding. He clenched his left fist angrily, feeling powerless to stop the maniac from creating chaos within timelines, and as he remembered timelines starting and stopping, the skeleton noticed that he was in a very, very different universe. He didn't know just how different, until he realized he was in front of a temple door that had a strange inscription above, written on stone:

πάντοτε ζητεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν

The symbols meant nothing to him at first, but, upon closer examination of the door, he saw what seemed like an abandoned bag, with a note in it and a few hotdogs, which didn't look like they were magical. He also noticed that there was a dense forest behind him, wondering at first if he was in Snowdin, but there was something off about this as well, because he didn't hear Papyrus coming after him or anything. _just, where the hell am i..._ Sans scratched the back of his skull, while reading the note that said:

I've come down here to find out the truth,  
because the others have disappeared...

That's what written above: "...ever seeking the truth."  
Wonder who wrote that...

It looks like an ancient temple of sorts, but I'm too scared...  
Too scared to go in.

 _if you didn't get in, where did you go, then?_ Sans thought as he placed the note in his pockets, and looked better at the symbols, _ever seeking the truth, huh? sounds like something tori would say. well,_ his gaze shifted to the darkness before him, _time to see where this leads...  
_

He walked past the strange stone columns as before him, there was nothing but darkness and...dirt, as he touched the walls of the tunnel he was in. Lighting his left fist, he kept walking, as he could hear small stones rolling down the path, apart from his footsteps. The only feeling tugging at his SOUL was loneliness - it wasn't like he didn't enjoy being lonely sometimes, but this felt like he was pulled back into the Genocide route once more. _but nobody came...what the hell am i even thinking, let's just get this straight!_

Finally, after a good five minutes stroll, he saw a familiar-looking door, and decided to dish out some knock-knock jokes. Chuckling a little to himself, he left the brown bag as he started to make his first knock-knock joke.

"knock-knock." Sans said.

"Who's there?" a female's voice replied.

"dishes."

"Dishes who?"

"dishes a very bad joke."

The female started howling with laughter, as if it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard in a long time, and then she opened the large Delta-Runed door, only to be shocked as she looked at the skeleton before her. The female monster - for she was a monster, of that Sans was sure - was very similar to his timeline's Toriel, except that she wore a white toga, and nothing else on herself, while her red eyes were fixed on the strange skeleton before her.

"Wh-who're you?" she found the courage to speak after a few moments of silence.

"i'm sans, sans the skeleton." the small, blue-jacketed monster said as he grinned, "you look surprised to see me."

"Hermesans! What are you even doing in here?"

"uh, i'm just sans? and i guess i'm lost..." Sans scratched the back of his skull in confusion.

"Ah, do not worry. I shall lead you through the Ruined Palestra." Toriel said as she fully opened the door.

"okay...thanks?" the skeleton said, a puzzled look on his bony face.

 _where the heck am i?...it's similar to the ruins, yet something is definitely different in here..._ Sans thought as he looked around himself, led by Toriel - but he noticed that her fire was green instead of the regular Dreemurr fire he was used to seeing in his timeline - and made a mental note to ask about it later. In the meantime, he could take in the setting, as he saw various ivy vines hanging from the walls, even a few cracks, and even the puzzles that were in the Ruins were somewhat different, almost _ancient_. Eventually, after a long time walking through the Ruined Palestra, as this timeline's Toriel called it, they reached a large opening that was similar to the Snowdin forest - but even the forest felt vastly different, as there was no snow at all, making Sans' eyesockets widen in astonishment.

"well, that's definitely...new." Sans found himself saying, and even Toriel noticed the shock in his voice.

"You've never seen this forest before?" the female goat monster asked, playing a little with her toga.

"it's a rather curious tale, you see..." the skeleton was about to tell, when they were interrupted by someone new.

"kalispera, stranger." the mysterious monster greeted Sans. "tch, you must be a metic. anyway, welcome to hades."

"thanks, whoever you are." the skeleton scientist said as he shrugged. "i still don't get half of this thing. am i back in the underground?"

"where are my manners..." the mysterious monster said, "i'm sans, but most gods around here call me hermesans."

"what a coincidence. my name's sans, sans the skeleton, and i'm a scientist." Sans said as he grinned.

"heya, lady toriel. zeus asgore has asked me to find you. in the meantime, i can look after this metic." the small monster revealed himself, as he was similar to Sans, except he had laurel on top of his skull and a blue toga surrounding him, while holding in his hand a caduceus.

"uh, you're all wearing these?" Sans asked as he pointed towards Hermesans' toga.

"Yes, we all wear the togas, Metic Sans." Ancient Toriel replied. "He is the messager of Hades, while I, alongside Zeus Asgore, rule it."

"okay, thanks for the heads-up, Ancient Toriel." scientist Sans smiled.

 **(Meanwhile, in the Altershift universe...)**

Everyone was shocked to hear about Sans' disappearance.

The few monsters that knew Sans were blaming Alphys for the sudden absence of their friend - all while she and Papyrus were deeply suffering from their loss - and Shamir did all that he could to appease the furious monsters and to tone down their hatred towards his daughter. He was very much _afraid_ that the lizard scientist would have a relapse and probably attempt suicide, remembering a very sad moment that Undyne told him, a moment that he desperately wanted to avoid.

People were also refusing to come at Papyrus' shows, making the latter sink into drinking whiskey - a thing that also concerned Shamir - and the jaguar felt at a complete loss as to what should be his next course of action. But Undyne promised him that they will pull this through, something his parents said as well, yet nothing could tone down the pent frustration within him.

 _It's been just two days since he disappeared...  
I know, monsters have said that I'm far too calm for this situation - but if they'd see me swishing my tail like this..._

Indeed, he could hear his tail go back and forth in a very, very nervous manner, yet he decided to take a breath and cool his nerves off - after all, Alphys needed him, as much as Papyrus needed Undyne's support - hell, everyone that knew how important Sans was in the two monsters' life was willing to lend a paw to help, even Catty, and for that Shamir was grateful. The jaguar lifted himself from the large bed he's been sleeping in last night and went downstairs to check on Alphys, who was crying as she held a picture of her and Sans taken during the Ceremonial Ball.

 _Wh-where are you..._ she thought between tears as her glasses started to get dirty.

"Alphy?" the jaguar's voice called to her as he descended in the basement, "Alph-"

"Daddy!" the lizard sniffed a little as she ran to him, catching the jaguar a little off-guard.

"Alphy..." Shamir's voice resounded in the small basement, trying to speak a little softer. "Shhh...here, here, Daddy is here."

The jaguar leveled to her, holding her in a tender embrace as one of his paws ran up and down her back. "Don't worry, we'll find him. I promise..."

"I don't know what I-I'm doing..." Alphys kept crying, "I tried to fix the machine, b-but without Sans' help..."

"Take a deep breath, Alphy." Shamir said, "I know you're heartbroken, deep inside. But...you have to keep your mind unclouded. I'm not a scientist, but I'm willing to spend each and every night with you to make sure we'll fix this. Together."

"Y-You'd do t-that? F-For me?" the lizard looked at him with surprised eyes that met Shamir's azure ones.

"Of course, dear. Your happiness is very important for me." the jaguar let a small smile form on his muzzle.

 **(Grillby's)**

Papyrus was standing at the bar, chugging another glass of whiskey, as he ignored Undyne, whose right eye was twitching in aggravation. "Another one, Grillby." the tall skeleton said as his expression was blank, not willing to really speak of what was going on with him, but the fish monster that stood beside him was not going to take his attempt at getting drunk lightly, and she tugged with force the collar of his shirt, forcing Papyrus to look in her yellow eyes.

"I swear, if you're going to get drunk before my eyes, I will smack your skull into the snow! I **know** how you must feel about Sans, but you have to get yourself together!"

"UNDYNE." the tall skeleton said, as he gently placed a bony hand over the fish monster's fin, "I SAID I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS. COULD YOU JUST...LET ME GO?"

"Papyrus! Didn't you hear what I've just said?!" Undyne grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him outside, throwing the skeleton in the snow with force. "I don't care what I must do to get you to hear me!"

"U-UNDYNE..." the tall skeleton felt himself shivering at the sight of Undyne, who started throwing snowballs at him. "S-STOP, STOP!"

"I'm **not,** Papyrus!" the fish monster said as she kept throwing snow at Papyrus, until she eventually stood atop him.

Mistakes were made...

But somehow, Papyrus found himself blushing red at the sight of Undyne, and felt something warming his SOUL...

 _Love._


	29. Bond of a Father and His Son

**Me: Not necessary, but I would recommend you to listen to Lenich and Kirya's ASGORE cover during this drabble.**

 **Shamir: Uh...You really like to put me through hell.**

 **Me: No, Shamir. *hugs the jaguar***

 **Alphys: Hate to bother you, Shock, but you have any idea when Sans is coming back?**

 **Me: He will, Alphys. I promise!**

 **Shamir: I still haven't met my teenage self, did you forget about that too?**

 **Me: No! Just...be patient, okay? I also apologize if this looks awfully short.**

 **Chara: And they still pressure the fellow.**

 **Gaster: They sure do.**

 **Drabble...huh?**  
 **Start.**

* * *

 **BOND OF A FATHER AND HIS SON**

Shamir opened his eyes to the white ceiling, as he left out a loud yawn, and rose from the comfortable bed he slept in. He then started stretching out his arms and legs, as well as his tail, and donned his white robes with the blue Delta Rune, briefly smiling at how he looked.  
He opened the door and left out a small sigh, as there was no scent of butterscotch, meaning that his mother didn't make any pie for the morning - and started descending the stairs while carefully cleaning his fur and eyes.

Asgore was leisurely sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book from Toriel's bookcase, apparently quite engrossed in it. Shamir cleared out his throat and greeted his father, while smiling shyly, and opened the large fridge - yet he couldn't see anything else than snail containers - while he wasn't particularly a fan of snails, he had nothing else to eat, and picked up one of those containers, closing the fridge.

The jaguar then opened the container and looked at the contents with a somewhat disgusted expression, which made the king smirk under his book - he often wondered if Shamir would cast aside Toriel's pie if there wasn't any - and saw his son trying to eat snail after snail, but the jaguar's face scrunched up after each eaten snail, turning him a little pale.

"Forget about the snails, Shamir." Asgore said, suddenly. "Tori left you some pie in the oven, it's still warm."

"Eh?" the jaguar turned to his father with a comical expression, while still feeling bad from the last snail he just ate, "And why didn't you say anything until now?"

"You were determined to eat those snails, even if that would've made you sick." his father laughed, "And I don't contradict a determined monster."

"Heh." Shamir laughed a little, "Well, I can't leave the container like this."

"Give me those, I'll tell it was me who ate them. Take that pie and enjoy yourself." Asgore beamed at the jaguar.

"Thanks, Dad." Shamir smiled as he rushed to the oven, the scent of butterscotch and cinnamon filling his nostrils. "Can we drink some tea as well? My stomach is a little upset after the snails I've eaten."

"Of course, son." the kingly monster nodded as he closed the book he was reading, and rose from the table to make some Golden Flower Tea.

Asgore noticed that his son was blissfully eating the slice of pie Toriel left for him, and yet his eyes were betraying the inner turmoil he's been going through, in the last few days and nights. He knew that it wasn't easy to get Shamir to open up, as the jaguar had a stronger bond with Toriel than himself - yet as a good father that he was, Asgore was willing to try and talk with his son on a deeper level - as Shamir himself was now in the position of being a father to Undyne and Alphys. The kingly monster poured some water in the kettle and placed a paw over one of the stove's burners to light a fire, while his mind was trying to find a right way to approach his son's issues. He then placed the kettle over the fire and sat himself back in the chair, again captivated by the book he was reading.

Shamir noticed briefly the title of the book, named _Valley of Fear_ , but he couldn't make out the name of the author. It was a curious choice of a book, as he remembered he didn't see this one before, nor heard his mother reading to him from it - but apparently Asgore was very interested in that book, that interested that he forgot to take the kettle off the fire.

"I've got this, Dad." the jaguar smiled, as he extinguished the fire under the kettle. "What's that book about?"

"Ah, it's about a detective, called Sherlock Holmes. This is a very, very interesting case so far." Asgore said, rubbing his chin.

"Name rings a bell..." Shamir said curiously, while his father rose to place the tea bags in two large mugs and gently pour the hot water in them.

"I think your mother may have read you this human's stories before, but not this one." the kingly monster smiled gently. "Perhaps the title itself deterred her from picking the book."

"Oh, now I remember!" Shamir suddenly exclaimed, "I think I said one day I want to be like Holmes."

"You looked so adorable when playing detective, among the leaves." Asgore smiled as he drank some tea.

"Dad..." the jaguar said as he drank some tea himself, "I actually have to ask you something."

"What is it, Shamir?" the king shifted for a moment in his seat, before placing back his mug on the table.

"How did you manage...uh," the feline scratched his head for a moment before exhaling, "being a father? Generally speaking, I mean."

"Is this about you and Alphys? Because I've noticed you're quite tired, lately. And I hate to say it, but if you keep going like this..."

"I know, Dad. But I..." Shamir fiddled with his paws before answering, "I want to be a good father to her and Undyne. I want to support both of them as much as I can."

"It's understandable, Shamir." the king nodded, "But you also have to let them grow on their own. Anyway, how is fixing that machine going?"

"Well, to be frank, all that strange language of...Doctor Gaster, is it?" the feline frowned, "It's kind of difficult to fully decipher the doctor's entries, even with Sans' notes about the alphabet Gaster used. Not to mention I've found a warning within the skeleton's notes."

"What kind of warning?"

"...Don't forget that the mystery gets deeper. Don't say I didn't warn you," Shamir said, shaking his head.

"I see. Doctor Gaster used to be a very cryptic man...even I couldn't get half of the things he wanted to tell me." Asgore nodded.

"Oh. Anyway...could you borrow me that book one day?" Shamir said.

"Sure, Shamir." the king said as he smiled towards his son, "And remember... Being a father doesn't mean only being there for them when they need support. Being a father means also to let them grow and discover things on their own."

"Thanks, Dad." the jaguar smiled as he left the Dreemurr household, to see what Undyne was up to.

 _"Shamir is a very smart jaguar, he will figure out how to be a father. He can nail it most of the times, and strangely enough, he is not that bad at naming things as I am. Perhaps Tori managed to rub off him more than I did. Nevertheless, he is my son, and he will be strong when the time will need it."_ the monster sovereign thought as he returned to reading his book.


	30. Cathurnus et Auspicio

**Me: Confused? I know...the title is strange. But give it a search, they're Latin words.**

 **Shamir: What do they mean?**

 **Me: It means your inner journey will continue! And someone finds out something.**

 **Shamir: It was about time.**

 **Me: I'm sorry.**

 **Shamir: No need to apologize. I think your readers will love it.**

 **Me: Well, I hope so.**

 **CATHURNUS ET AUSPICIO**

The days flew by as Shamir wished to meet his teenage self, and he was this close to asking Gerson to be placed back in isolation - something the old turtle absolutely refused - as the warrior acknowledged there was no need for the jaguar to be locked away for his sake. Meanwhile, Catty was doing her best to be a part of the two daughters Shamir took under his guidance - Undyne and Alphys - without being rude or intentionally hurtful towards them, as she did say some rude things towards the one she loved.

 _"Don't you realize how stupid can you be, Shamir?! You're going to keep losing your mind if you act on like this. Frankly, I wonder what I saw in you."_ She told him once, during her visits in his isolation time. And when she saw the hurt look in his eyes, she couldn't help biting her lip in frustration and disappointment with herself, but he forgave her without any hesitation, as he pulled her in a hug, and whispered softly in her ear...

 _"You..."_ She could remember his breath hitching, _"you are right to call me idiot and stupid for the way I act..."_ and his heart beating so rapidly it threatened to leave his ribcage, _"But, whatever you saw in me...Please, don't lose that. I..."_ She could feel him holding her tighter, _"I would be insane if it wasn't for you. If you wouldn't have walked into my life that day..."_

While Shamir remembered how his fears were taunting him in the darkness, telling him that there was nothing for him, that he couldn't beat the demons within no matter what he'd try. He looked in the mirror and saw the tired face of a warrior that fought battles against the enemies that would come down in the Underground - he remembered Ratoveros executing two children right in front of him and the others - even after they fought valiantly and eventually sparing the Royal Guards.

His mind rebelled against the sight before him, asking himself if this was what the Guard was meant to be. Asking him if all this arrogance, if everything he pushed forward to achieve, everything he learned from his commander was all worth it. The sight of blood wetting the grounds was enough to turn his stomach upside down...

 _How can you be a Royal Guard like this?_  
 _How could you, in your teen years, look at those children's heads falling before you?_

 _Is this what you want to follow? Is this what you want to become?_

" **Stop!** " he roared to his mirror self. "I want to be so much more than this! I-I don't want to hurt anyone..." He then slumped to the cold floor of the bathroom and started crying, sobs shaking him fully. He wanted to conquer himself; he wanted to finish all this incessant doubt and battle within...

Toriel heard the sobs as she climbed up the stairs, and noticed Shamir crouched against the bathtub, crying his eyes out. She then leveled to him, and softly caressed his forehead, cooing and calling him all the nicknames she made out for him, until he eventually raised his head and let himself fall in her protective arms. No matter his age, the comfort of her touch was something that quelled away his fears, and she gently rubbed his back up and down with a paw.

"Shamir...little one...I don't know what shakes you so deeply..." she whispered in his ear, "But don't let down your guard, don't forget to face everything with bravery."

He wouldn't let her go, no matter what would befall him...  
She taught him so much; she took the time to shape him into the warrior she saw within him, the guardian of an entire race, the guardian of her hopes and dreams.  
He remembered the many times Ratoveros called his mother names...

 _"That old hag thinks she can order me around, as if I'd listen to her. She is old, her mind is feeble, and is a bad excuse of a parent..."_ he heard the panther saying to himself as Shamir wanted to inform him of the new orders he received from Asgore, but that phrase alone stirred the blood within the jaguar.

 _"What did you just say about my mother?"_ he stormed in the tent without any fear he will be punished, and his eyes were red with rage. _"Say that thing, one more time..."_ he gritted his teeth, _"and I'll put you down with no hesitation. I don't care if you kick me from the Guard._ _ **I won't allow anyone**_ _to badmouth my mother!"_

"Mom..." he brought himself to say, after a few moments, "thank you...for helping me grow. You and Dad showed me how beautiful is this world..." and broke the hug to clean his face. "I'm sorry I do stupid things at times."

Toriel smiled softly as she replied, "Ah...you're still learning, my dearest. Do not fret, I'll be by your side, no matter what might happen."

...

He felt tired after another training day with the Guard, and threw himself onto his large bed, various feelings worming within his SOUL. Feelings like _worry_ , like _powerlessness_ , like _disappointment._ Feelings that he couldn't shake off, no matter how fluffy Toriel's hugs would've been, or how strong the scent of peaches and jasmine that lingered in his nostrils after making out with Catty - and he had to admit, the place she had in his heart was almost competing with the one his mother had - but the jaguar shook his head at the silliness of such a thought. _They're equal in that regard, no sense to start a competition, you foolish heart,_ he mused as all the exhaustion eventually caught up to him.

 **(Dreamscape)**

He blinked for a moment, thinking that it couldn't be real.  
But he was in Waterfall, as he could feel the humid grass under his hind legs, and looked around for any discrepancies, until he heard footsteps coming down his way, and hid in the thicket of reed, lying low and breathing slowly.

He saw his teenage self being dragged away by Ratoveros until the entrance, and they seemed to be arguing - he didn't remember this very clearly - but it was obvious that his teenage self cowered under the gaze of the panther, making him even more curious about what the argument was about. _I wish I could disguise myself...so he wouldn't recognize me for the moment_ , he thought, clenching his paws.

 _"Oh, but I can help with that."_ the voice of his Young self chimed in. _"We'll just need to change the color of your robes for the moment. What about red?"_

 _"Red robes? That would be a drastic change..."_ the jaguar said, _"but yes, it sounds well."_

 _"Good, red it is!"_ his Young self laughed as Shamir noticed his robes were now red, and the rune was gone. _"Don't worry. It will be back to normal after this is over."_

 _"Okay. Time to make my entrance..."_ Shamir pulled the hood over his face as he came out from the thicket and approached his teenage self, who reached for one of his daggers.

"That won't be necessary." the red-robed jaguar commanded to his teen self. "I am unarmed."

"Ugh, fine." Teen Shamir said as he huffed in annoyance. "Do you look for Captain Ratoveros? He's inside, in the grounds."

"No, young one, it's not him that I seek." Shamir said. "It's you."

"Me?" the teen jaguar's eyes widened in surprise. "Whatever for...?"

"To ask you how you are feeling." the red-robed jaguar said, as he placed a paw over his right shoulder.

"Come on, that's what you bother a Royal Guard with?" Teen Shamir scoffed. "I have no time for stuff like that. I have to get back inside soon, or Captain Ratoveros will scold me again."

"Kid..." Shamir said, as his eyes were affixed on the jaguar before him, his face hidden by the red robes, "...Do you really care about what he has to say?"

"He keeps saying if I don't listen to him, I'll never learn how to be a Guard..." the teen jaguar shifted uncomfortably in front of the stranger before him."Sometimes, he's right about that. Plus, he's the only feline around I can learn something from."

"Kid..." the red-robed jaguar sighed, "He is confusing you. You are no longer the one you were before."

"What the heck are you saying?! I'm a Guard and a Prince, I won't be taking bullshit like this from the likes of you!" his teen self said as he pulled out a dagger, inadvertently cutting a little of Shamir's red hood and face, blood dripping from the wound.

"Shamir..." he addressed to himself."If you keep going like this, you'll never understand the real meaning of being a Dreemurr! Nor that you can become a better monster!"

"Who the heck are you...how do you even know my name?" his teen self narrowed his eyes, "I don't take things like these easily! I am a Dreemurr and a good monster as I am now...Everyone will be proud of me! I have to be as proud as the Captain is, he is respected!"

The red-robed jaguar shook his head in disappointment, before summoning a fire blade to his right paw. "You..." his breath hitched for a moment, "You're living a lie..."

"That's not true!" the white-robed teen feline said as he drew one of his sabers. "He wouldn't lie to me, he is my Captain, and he knows what being a feline means!"

"You are not the monster you want to be, and it kills you deep down..." Shamir said, at the cover of his red hood, "You're hiding this pain behind a mask of pride...They never see the real you, they don't know the demons that taunt your mind."

"Shut up! Y-you don't know me!" the teen, white-robed jaguar tried to attack Shamir, only for the latter to swiftly parry the blow with the fire blade he called out.

Shamir shook his head once more, "You can't fool me, kid. I know you better than you will ever know yourself. And I'm aware that meeting you will not stop that pride from growing within me."

"You're a freak!" teen Shamir said, "I'll cut you through!" as he charged once more at the red-robed jaguar who parried his blow once more, even lightly shoving him a few paces.

"I don't want to hurt you, kid. Trust me, if I wanted to do that, I would've slashed you." the red-robed jaguar said.

"I-I...Wh-who are you...?" the teen jaguar's eyes widened in surprise, as he sheathed his sword. "I-I don't understand anything, I..."

"All that you must know is that I'm a benevolent monster." Shamir said. "And that I'm asking you to reconsider what you think about yourself. Is this who you want to be? An arrogant, selfish monster, who does nothing else but boast how powerful can he be, and how can he crush his enemies under his paws?"

"Wow...You know him, d-don't you?" the teenage jaguar said, looking at the red-robed stranger, "I hear him saying that sometimes. Boasting...saying that he can crush anyone..."

"He's not my concern. But you were cowering in fear before him..." the old jaguar sighed, "and you said you are a Prince. Do you think your responsibilities as a Prince end when you enter the Royal Guard? No. They keep on going..."

"But...I'm still young, h-how can I-" the jaguar teenager panicked for a moment, "I c-can't disobey him, he's older and more experienced than I am."

"Yes, but he's not a Dreemurr. He's not a good example of leadership. Trust me... I hate seeing you like this, young one. And come to think of it, someone else thought that words won't be reaching you in any way."

"But without pride, monsters will trample over me, will call me weak. That's what he said. That I need to learn to be a feline, so monsters will give me the respect and recognition I want from them."

Shamir couldn't help scoffing at what he just heard, and shook his head. "I can't believe how blind you were to follow him. I can't believe I used to listen to such things." the jaguar said as he dropped the red hood. "I am you, child."

 **"Y-you're an older me? My eyes must be deceiving me, there's no way I could-"** teenage Shamir said before the red-robed jaguar placed a paw over his muzzle.

"Come with me. They might've heard us...I will explain when we get back to the beginning of this mountain."

...

 **(Ancienttale Universe)**

Sans and Hermesans were close to, what the latter called, "the Oracle of Waterfall", and while the former was trying to get used to this universe, he wanted to go back home. Who knows, maybe because he missed Alphys so much? And for some part of their travel, he wondered if Hermesans was in love with Alphys of this timeline...

"so, uh..." Sans broke the silence between them, "what do you think about alphys?"

Hermesans was taken by surprise, as a faint blush covered his somewhat proud face and scratched his head in embarassment. _"there must be a reason the metic asks me that...or he knows something. was it that obvious?"_

"well, that certainly is a direct question, isn't it? and you must mean pallas athenys. that's her name."

"i know why i'm askin', hermesans. it's cause...uh..i kinda miss my own." the scientist replied, a little ashamed.

"heh. that's okay, metic sans. anyway...you can't leave this place unless you defeat narcissus."

"who the heck is-" Sans asked, before being silenced by Hermesans.

"that is the evil variant of Floraion, the seer."

 _"why do i suddenly feel suspicious about this...floraion?..."_

"Kalispera, metic!" a golden flower greeted Sans, "and hello there, Hermesans."

 _"f-flowey? what kind of hell is going on in here?"_ Sans thought as he looked at the flower before him with curiosity.

"Metic...allow me to show you my visions." Floraion said, gently shifting his leaves. "I am aware you have to defeat my evil brother, Narcissus. He can be found close to Zeus Asgore's Akropolis. As for your timeline..."

"what is going to happen with my timeline?" the scientist skeleton asked, his eyesockets wide with curiosity.

"A certain someone will find power...will redeem themselves. There is still time to save what can be saved...yet none can stop what is about to befall it." Floraion said.

"cryptic as heck." the skeleton scientist could only say.

"You will understand someday, metic." the flower said before disappearing.

"floraion is right, metic sans. he knows what he says..."


	31. Distant Echoes and Partyliners

**Me: Wow - that was brain-racking.**

 **Shamir: What's that?**

 **Me: It means it was difficult to get it out.**

 **Shamir: Oh...Writing can be difficult, right?**

 **Me: Sure is, when your ideas clash like two fighters in an arena.**

 **Shamir: Eh, a warrior, is it?**

 **Me: Yeah, I'm a warrior. *smiles***

 **Drabble...?**

 **Start.**

 **DISTANT ECHOES AND PARTYLINERS**

He could notice that he was back in the never-ending darkness that engulfed his mind whenever he was facing his fears, yet something was drastically different. He saw that a white, gentle light was basking over him, and felt something tugging at his white robes - or rather someone - making him turn over and see a small child with brown hair, similar to Chara's, but the striped shirt was completely _different_.  
Though that didn't stop Shamir from gently smiling at the human, until he noticed that they were pointing towards the darkness with a shaky finger, as if afraid of what lurked in it. The jaguar was willing to reassure the child there was nothing to fear, until his ears perked up, picking up a distant laughter, that sounded almost...insane.

"Do not worry, child." he could hear himself say, "Whatever lurks in the dark, I'll protect you from it."

The child did nothing but cling tighter to the jaguar's robes, while the sound of laughing was much nearer now - as Shamir could notice - making the feline call out for a fire in his paw, trying to light up the darkness surrounding himself and the child, while his eyes narrowed in anticipation. Laughter suddenly stopped, and all that could be heard was a shifting of vines, until Shamir could discern a vague form of - something - standing not very far from where he and the child were. But then again, he couldn't be sure, as darkness covers all the fears a monster or a human can face sometimes.

" **PSH.** " a voice broke through the silence, "YOU REALLY THINK THAT THE HUMAN WILL WALK OUT OF THIS ALIVE?"

"Whoever you are, _whatever_ you are," Shamir began to speak, "I'm not going to let you harm this child in here."

"HEE HEE HEE. YOU'RE GOING TO PROTECT A **HUMAN**? AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE HUMANS..." the voice retorted, seemingly puzzled by the jaguar's decision. "LET'S MAKE THIS EASIER...WHY DON'T YOU HAND ME OVER THE HUMAN AND YOU KEEP YOUR PRIDE INTACT."

"As tempting as that is..." the jaguar chuckled, "I'm going to _refuse_ your offer. I may not stand humans too much, but I don't think you're right about what you're doing."

"WHAT? YOU'RE REFUSING ME?" the stranger advanced a little, the fire's light barely illuminating a part of his twisted face, " **WHO SAID YOU'RE IN CONTROL IN HERE?!** "

The stranger immediately called out white bullets, shooting them towards the seemingly-defenseless jaguar and child, only for Shamir to place his paws up front, honing the wind that started to gently make his robe flutter to deflect the white bullets. The child was amazed by the jaguar's powers, and held their hands to their chest, expressing some relief that the feline was protecting them, as he said.

"YOU IDIOT. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS **ALIVE**! " the stranger approached them even more, revealing a terrifying face that had a large mouth with threatening teeth, and two blue eyes that were moving constantly.

He then started honing on lots and lots of bombs, powerful enough to destroy anyone in their path - or so Flowey thought - until he noticed that the jaguar gently scooped the child in his arms and sent out lightning shocks to effectively turn the bombs away from them. Enraged, Flowey called out even more bombs, only for them to be properly countered with a few fireballs.

All while the jaguar held the child tight in his arms, looking for a safe place - as safe as it could be - in the whole darkness that covered them. Shamir then called out a fire blade, narrowing his eyes as he waited for his enemy to eventually engage in close combat, but the child's fear was slowly increasing - and the jaguar was unable to notice that at the moment.

"Why do you want the human so badly?" Shamir asked, while keeping his battle stance.

"LOOK WHY...YOU FOOLISH MONSTER...THE POWERS THAT **I** HAVE ARE NO MATCH FOR YOURS!" Flowey said as he revealed six SOULS that were floating in mid-air, wriggling as their captor was using their power to force the jaguar to yield before him.

 _He has six human SOULS and wishes for the seventh, which is this child...,_ Shamir thought for a moment at the sight before his eyes, _something, deep down, tells me to keep protecting the child. Humans may have done wrong to our kind...but how right is it to kill a child?_

...

 **(Middle of the night)**

His eyes shot up to the white ceiling above, and placed a paw over his forehead to wipe off the forming sweat. He didn't understand what the dream was about, and decided to lie in the bed for three more minutes before getting up. Standing at the edge of his bed, the jaguar rubbed his face in an attempt to calm the grogginess he was feeling, and descended with light paw steps to the kitchen, not wanting to wake up his parents. He felt his throat a little dried after this dream, so he decided that a few glasses of water won't hurt at all - but just as he was about to pour some water in the glass, he could hear Asgore's heavy steps descending the stairs - and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, not entirely sure what he could tell his father.

Asgore lightly greeted him, "Howdy!" while looking for the kettle, and looked at Shamir with an understanding gaze, "I tend to have nightmares too, and a little tea helps me out with it."

"Dad..." the jaguar looked at the goat monster with a sheepish smile on his muzzle, "...A dream woke me up. Not a nightmare."

"Ah, must've been something of importance." the large goat monster smiled in return as he lit up one of the stove's burners and placed the water-filled kettle over it. "Anyway, don't think too much over it."

"Well, I guess it was nothing." Shamir lazily waved one of his paws, "Say, can I have some tea, too?"

"Sure, Shamir." the kind, kingly monster nodded. "And, don't tell your mother, she will worry about you."

The jaguar lightly chuckled before answering, "Yes, I know. She's a worrywart sometimes, but her strong will is formidable."

"Indeed." Asgore replied as a small blush graced his face, remembering a moment with Toriel. "Though you can't blame her, she wants only the best for you."

Shamir curtly nodded, "It's true."

"As I do, son." the kingly monster said as he poured tea for both of them, handing one cup to the jaguar.

...

 **(The next day)**

Catty was excited about this idea, as she couldn't help scribbling various notes over what can and can't be done at such a thing. A few animes and some books about the humans were indeed useful in understanding this - she also made a list to make sure that this idea included everyone she knew.

Well, almost everyone.

"So, you think they won't be feeling left out?" Bratty said.

"No, it will be fine." Catty laughed, "I'm sure they'll find some way to amuse themselves."

"And you're going to _every_ house in the whole Underground?" the female alligator's eyes widened. "I think you'd need some teleportation. This is going to be long and _tedious_."

"I'll ask River Person to help me out with the transport, you silly! They're sometimes creepy, but since I have no other option..." the purple feline replied.

"Fine, suit yourself! But don't come to me saying that you're tired as heck." Bratty laughed, before leaving Catty alone. "See you later!"

 _She thinks this is going to be hard because I'm going to invite everyone. But hey, where's the fun if I didn't go in person?_ Catty thought before carefully folding the list she made and placing it in one of her pockets. _Luckily, the first monster I'm going to invite isn't quite far from here._

She gleefully picks up her small bag and leaves the house with a smile on her face, heading for the Dreemurrs' residence. The purple cat was aware that only by winning his mother's graces could she ever think on being a part of the family - besides, Catty had a few talks with Toriel about Shamir on some occasions - so, when she knocked on the door, she didn't expect him to be the one greeting her.

"Hey there, beautiful," the jaguar's smile widened seeing her, while a faint blush spread over his face.

 _That white blouse definitely makes her...noticeable,_ Shamir could think as he opened the door and allowed her to enter the house, _and I must agree, the backside isn't that bad as well._ The moment he noticed what he was thinking, he allowed one of his paws to trail over his face, comical sweat beading on his forehead. _God, I swear she does it on purpose._

"You're _never_ that early in the morning," Catty lightly teases him, giving him a predatory look and a wink.

"Howdy, miss Catty." Asgore greeted the purple cat, and much like Shamir, he couldn't help questioning the choice of attire. _If only Shamir knew that Tori used to be like that in her youth, he wouldn't believe me,_ the kingly monster thought. "Tori is upstairs, she'll come down shortly. Why don't you take a seat, have some tea?"

"Sure, Mr. Dreemurr." she nods as she takes a seat at the table in the kitchen.

"Shamir," Asgore then addresses himself to the jaguar, "Go upstairs and change your clothes. There's no need to go all robed up for today."

"Okay, Dad." Shamir nodded curtly as he walked up the stairs, while seeing his mother in a beautiful choice of a long-sleeved purple blouse and pink skirt, making him smile gently.

"How do I look?" Toriel asks as she notices her son looking at her with soft eyes.

"Beautiful, Mom," Shamir's smile broadens. "You know, a small Golden Flower at one of your ears would do the trick."

"Hee hee hee, why didn't I think of that? Thank you, dear," the matronly monster said as she returns the smile and descends to the kitchen.

While Shamir was upstairs changing his attire, Toriel's eyes widened at the sight of Catty, whose choice of attire was definitely remembering her of youth. _Goodness...she is definitely trying to be alluring, based on what I told her,_ the female goat monster thought as she greeted their visitor and sat at the table next to Asgore.

"What brings you here, Catty?" Toriel asked her, while gently clasping her paws.

"Uh, I wonder if Mr. Dreemurr can leave us alone for a few minutes. It's something I'd rather talk with you, Ms. Dreemurr."

"Gorey, dearest," Toriel turns towards Asgore, "Would you go help Shamir upstairs?"

"Of course, Tori," Asgore gives her a peck on the lips before leaving for the upper floor.

Now that the two females were alone, Catty started speaking of her plans for tonight, and how she intends to invite everyone that she knows. Toriel agrees with a hearty laughter, and promises to be there, while hiding the small leaflet the purple cat gave her.

"Good luck, Catty." the goat monster smiled as she invited the feline out of the house. "I'll be there, as we discussed."

Just as Toriel said that, the two male Dreemurrs were looking at her with curiosity, wondering what could've gotten the matronly goat monster in such a good mood. She turned to the two with an angelic smile and walked back to the kitchen, in order to prepare some butterscotch-cinnamon pie.

"Something's definitely going on," Shamir could only note, while the two followed her to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Catty was busy sharing leaflets to Muffet and her fellow spiders, asking them to keep the whole thing under the rug - in her words, "Don't let anyone else find out about this, and especially _the guys_." - And then, after a long ride on River Person's boat, she walked to Undyne and Alphys' house, lightly knocking on the door.

"Eh? Oh, hi Mom," Alphys smiled shyly, "What are you doing in-"

"I don't have much time, dear. Give this to your sister, okay? Make sure that you're going to be there." Catty said, giving a leaflet to Alphys, "And don't tell your father."

"Ok...?" the small lizard scientist nodded, while scratching the back of her head, and closed the door. She then called out for Undyne, "Hey, 'Dine! Come check this out, it's from Mom!"

 _Okay...,_ Catty then pulled out her list, _I got Ms. Dreemurr, Muffet, my girls...I have still many others to invite. Bratty was right about one thing, it's definitely tedious,_ the cat smiled to herself as she placed the list back in one of her pockets.

Later that day, the two male Dreemurrs were having a talk in the gardens, and neither noticed Toriel sneaking out. The jaguar was quite intrigued by his mother's behavior for the rest of the day, while Asgore suggested it couldn't have been anything serious, and then switched the topic of their discussion to gardening. While Shamir wasn't a huge fan of gardening, he thought it wouldn't be bad to learn a few things about tending to plants - maybe that way, he'll be able to grow a field of jasmine just for Catty - and probably invite her to a picnic in there.

 _I still can't take this image off my mind...,_ Shamir thought while listening to his father, _a field of jasmine flowers and her standing in the middle, a predatory gaze in her eyes, willing to make me submit..._

"...And that's how you can grow jasmine flowers." Asgore said, while keeping a small pot with a jasmine flower in it.

"I should've noted it down." the jaguar excused himself sheepishly. "I'm sorry, my mind just wandered astray."

"Don't worry, son. I'll be happy to explain it all again to you later." the kingly monster smiled.

"Catty's certainly something, isn't she?" Shamir smiled, a blush forming on his face, "She has that attitude...Just like Mom, sometimes."

"Bahahaha," Asgore laughed with joy, "You'd be surprised."

 **(That evening...)**

"What's the code?" Bratty asked, her voice a little coarse from smoking.

"Partyline." Catty replied, as the alligator allowed her to enter. "You smoked again?"

"Sorry, I can't help it." Bratty waved one of her claws dismissively. "They'll be here?"

"Yeah, all of them. Did you pick the music and drinks?" the purple cat smiled as she looked at the large room they were in.

"It's bound to be a long night, with what I chose." Bratty laughed, "And as for the drinks, I brought soft drinks - for your girls - and for the rest of us a little alcohol."

"So, all is set, then." Catty smiled.

Toriel, Muffet, Undyne, Alphys and the rest of the female monsters that Catty gave a leaflet to were coming to this arranged party, all of them happy to spend a night away from their husbands or boyfriends - Catty was rubbing her paws in anticipation, as she planned the whole night in detail - and started the party by playing a song Bratty chose, breaking the ice.

 _Girls just wanna have fun..._  
 _Oh, oh, just wanna have fun!_


	32. Return From Whence You Went (I)

**Me: Well, this is long as hell.**

 **Shamir: But it is interesting...**

 **Me: Yeah. This is the first part of my ending drabble. It _might_ have two or three parts, per total.  
**

 **Shamir: W-What?!**

 **Me: Yeah. Sorry about that.**

 **Shamir: *grumbles***

 **Me: Come on, buddy...*hugs Shamir***

 **Shamir: *still grumbling***

 **Me: I know, but you're still a goofy cat~**

 **This is the beginning of the end.**

* * *

 **Return From Whence You Went**  
 **\- Ending Drabble, part I -**

He opened his eyes to a beautiful, endless azure sky - save for a few large, white clouds - and to the scent of golden flowers carried by the gentle wind that rustled through his fur and the flowers that surrounded the jaguar's body. A smile graced his muzzle as he took a deep breath, and picked himself up to take a better look at the landscape he must've been in - an ever-stretching field of golden flowers - until he saw something else catching shape in the distance. Something akin to the monsters' capital could be visible up ahead, and his hind paws were leaving pawprints in his wake, feeling the somewhat mossy ground on which the flowers grew. He noticed an edge to this field of golden flowers, and realized this must've been a large cliff somewhere above, in the distance of whatever was in there, and sat there, admiring the sun's light basking the forest below.

He could also hear a lot of noise - like laughter - and noticed familiar faces gathered around, like Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, Undyne, Toriel with some humans he didn't recognize. Whatever that was, he couldn't understand, until he saw himself with Catty, laughing away as peace filled the land...Then, something unexpected happened, as a large portal opened itself. His muscles were a little tense at the sight, and he watched as from it, another set of monsters came down, — similar to Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, Undyne and Toriel — and his eyes widened as his other self down there was happy to see the other monsters.

He didn't realize someone else was also watching the entire exchange, until his eyes caught a glimpse of white fur. Shamir's azure eyes widened as he looked at the goat child, the latter smiling gently at the view before them. _"Asriel...? What is he doing here? And where am I...?"_

Asriel noticed that Shamir was standing next to him, and turned his head towards the jaguar, briefly smiling. The small goat monster made a gesture of following him, and while the large feline monster was perplexed, he didn't hesitate to follow Asriel as the latter led him through the field of golden flowers, until they came to a stop.

A large stream of water could be heard nearby, and both monsters stood in there, waiting for something - until a glimpse of a cat-headed boat could be seen, and River Person came next to them, no hood over their head. _"They're s-still a hybrid...but not that scary anymore..."_ Shamir reflected on the strange monster's apparel, which seemed a lot happier than before. His eyes widened when Asriel stopped him, and shook his head, while pointing towards the cliff, making a heart from his paws.

 _"What does he mean...?"_ the jaguar scratched the back of his head in more confusion, until Asriel decided to speak while on the boat, in a telepathic manner.

 _"I'm just here to send a message, brother. You saw them down there...That's what determination and courage together can bring for both humans and monsters alike. Remember to stay true to what you've discovered...and just in case you forget that..."_ Shamir could hear him sigh for a moment, _"...know that we'll come together to bring you back. The two races must come together, there's no time for petty vengeance..."_

...

 _"Remember to stay true to what you've discovered..."_

The words echoed through Shamir's mind as he opened his eyes to the white, familiar ceiling and rubbed his forehead, groaning a little from the sudden awakening. He wasn't quite sure what was all that about, but it was yet again a dream that must've had a meaning. _"Asriel..."_ the feline thought for a while as he left a frustrated growl, _"What do you mean by all of this? H-How am I going to bring you back...?"_ a growl that Toriel inadvertently heard, and opened Shamir's door.

"My child, are you alright?" the large, purple-robed monster came next to the jaguar, who was still holding a paw over his eyes and forehead.

"Just...give me a minute, I'll be alright." Shamir left out a small grunt and uncovered his eyes, "Don't worry, I've just had a confusing dream, that's all."

"Very well, dearest," Toriel said, smiling gently at the feline, and then planted a kiss atop of his forehead, "We'll be waiting for you to take breakfast with us."

"Sure, Mom." the jaguar returned a kind smile before slowly getting up.

Toriel closed the door behind her, yet some thoughts wormed their way in the queen's mind as she descended the large, wooden stairs. After all the horrendous nightmares he had, confusing dreams have started to plague him - and while she was thanking whatever forces above that he wasn't waking up in full fear, - she was also curious as to what kind of dreams did he have lately. Asgore was leisurely reading the Underground newspaper, or "Monster Chronicles", and there was nothing significant going in here. Well, except for the fact that there was a lot of gossiping around the Dreemurr family - and that alone made the old king shake his head in disbelief -, it was as if monsters couldn't accept that Catty was soon going to be part of their family. He sipped more tea in order to calm his nerves, when he noticed Toriel standing in the doorframe, with a sly smile on her muzzle, and placed the newspaper on the table, studying her with interest.

"Howdy, Tori! You look beautiful today, what's the occasion?" the kingly monster asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

Toriel approached him and carefully straddled on his lap, her breathing a little funny, as her eyes betraying a hidden lust that she didn't fully give in last night. He was looking at her with a hint of shock, but also with understanding as he pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck tenderly, prompting a little laughter from the beautiful queen of the Underground.

"A-Asgore D-Dreemurr!" Shamir could hear as he descended the stairs, and hesitated for a moment to go further. He didn't think that could be a part of his parents' routine — but then again, he knew that Catty did this on the rare occasions when they slept together — still, he couldn't help a thought that crossed his mind.

 _"Golly...that early in the morning?"_

"S-stop, y-you're tickling me!" Toriel laughed even more as Asgore kept nuzzling the fur of her neck. "T-that was n-not—"

She couldn't say anything more, because Asgore immediately sealed the distance between their lips, her red eyes widening at the sudden boldness of her husband. While she was usually the more dominant one in their relationship, it was on rare occasions that he was the one giving her kisses...

...And she couldn't deny that she loved it.

Shamir stood in the doorframe, looking at their beautiful display of love and stifling a laughter — he found them absolutely blissful and adorable — but Toriel eventually caught up a glimpse of the jaguar's fur and blushed in embarrassment as she broke the kiss, while Asgore guffawed.

"Eheheh," the king said with a sheepish smile, "howdy, son."

"Howdy," the yellow-furred jaguar replied, still trying to stifle his laughter. "Don't worry, I won't be long. Just need a slice of pie and some tea, and then you can keep on enjoying this morning."

 _"He's far too casual about it,"_ Toriel noticed, _"and looks on the verge of laughing,"_ while Shamir took a slice of pie from the oven, and poured himself a cup of tea from the kettle that was still warm. He then turned to the two — still embarrassed — monsters and smirked a little, as he walked out of the kitchen, sniffing on the pie's scent and sipping a little of the tea.

"He must find us a little ridiculous sometimes," Asgore smiled as he gently cupped Toriel's face, "but nevertheless, loves us with all of his heart."

...

On the surface, a small human child was tossing and turning in his bed, while the sun's rays were lighting through the small windows of the orphanage he was in, and the other children in the large, chilly room were sleeping soundly. A female caretaker suddenly opened the big, wooden door that led into the children's bedroom and started clanking a spoon rhythmically against a stainless-steeled frying pan, yelling at the children to get up.

She was thin, had long, dark hair and wore a large, dirty lab coat over her black sweater and long, brown skirt — she was "The Screech", as the children nicknamed her.

The woman noticed the small child who was still tossing in his bed — and immediately went next to their bed — but she had no intention of gently waking up the child. Instead, she lifted the large, dirty mattress and tumbled the child to the ground. Frankie — for that was the child's name — left out a sob as they landed on their belly, their blue pajamas getting a little darker from all the dust that was on the floor. "The Screech" stood tall over the fallen child, and left them to pick themselves up, while goading them.

"Get up in this second, you good-of-nothing brat! Breakfast is starting, and if I won't see you in the next ten minutes, I will not let you have any food for the day. Am I clear?"

 **(Later that day...)**

"Hi, I'm Sam Diller, from the National Department for Children Protection." a tall, black bearded man, wearing a black suit and a blue tie said, as he revealed a shining badge to the receptionist of Cloverdale's orphanage. "I've heard you're not treating children well in here, and I wish to check out if the complaints I've received are real."

"You should speak to Ms. Donovan, she's the one in —" the short, blonde-haired man said to him before a corpulent female came out from behind a large steel door that closed with a loud banging, "—charge."

The woman looked like she was in her fifties, tired and somewhat frustrated— mainly because she had to deal with so much paperwork coming from parents that wished to adopt children from her orphanage — but when she noticed the man with a badge, she realized that her problems were far from over. Her brown eyes narrowed in anger as she walked towards the reception desk, and made a gesture towards the receptionist which could be translated as "I'll keep an eye on you".

"Ms. Donovan, I presume?" Sam asked as he searched for his small, red notebook.

"I'm Cecilia Donovan, the superintendent of this place. And who're you, sir? I don't allow trespassers—" the old woman started saying, with an irritated tone in her voice, before the black-bearded man showed his I.D. once more.

"I'm Sam Diller, from NDCP," he said as he placed back the I.D., "and I've heard that several possible foster parents complained about the conditions in which you keep these children."

His blue eyes narrowed for a moment. "Especially — children that are of other race, or have different handicaps — and this, as you can imagine, does not stand well with us."

"Why should I give a flying—" the woman paused for a moment, "—on what are you saying? Do you even have a warrant or something like that? Any authoriz—"

"My authorization is here," Sam said as he pulled out a large envelope that held a warrant to search the facility. "Anything else you'd like to add, hmm?"

Ms. Donovan took the warrant and skimmed through it, while grumbling as she handed the document back to Sam. The old woman then handed him a visitor tag, which Sam dutifully placed around his neck, letting it hang over the blue tie and entered the large common room, where children of all ages were sitting and playing around with somewhat rusty toys, or even broken ones. Sam started to note all that he saw in his notebook, until his blue eyes landed on a child that wore a blue and pink striped shirt, with a pair of black pants. They also had dark brown hair and their skin was tanned — but what struck him as odd was the expression on the young one's face.

It was a perfect, neutral expression.

"Who's the child over there?" Sam pointed with his pen towards the striped-shirt child.

Cecilia grumbled a little before replying, "That's Frankie— but recently they asked to be called Frisk. That's nonsense!" the woman threw her hands in the air, obviously exasperated.

Sam didn't say anything as he kept writing in his notebook.

"Their name IS Frankie, you can check it in the records, if you want to," the old superintendent added with a deadpan stare. "Just, don't touch anything else."

Sam mumbled something akin to a "yes", but he was too busy writing down that he didn't notice the child getting themselves surrounded by two taller kids.

"Hey, freak," one of the kids said as he pushed Frankie away, "this is MY place!"

"Yeah, why don't you — just — go stay with Sock Pants, huh?" a girl scoffed as she pulled Frankie by their hair.

The man eventually overheard their conversation, and as he pulled out his nose from the red notebook, he did something that nobody really expected to happen. **"Leave—them—alone."** Sam said as his voice broke through the quarrel.

It made everyone else look at the inspector with widened eyes.

The receptionist came next to Sam and diligently asked if the man had any children, to which Sam replied with a soft no. But the lab-coated man —whose name was Alfred —, cared about Frankie as much as some of the others did, and advised Sam to return disguised as a worker. He added that if the inspector managed that, Frankie — or Frisk, as they demanded to be called — would be safer with him than in here.

"Okay, but I really have to check their background. Where they came from and all that jazz," the black-bearded man said, as he rubbed his chin in thought. "And— can you do me a favor, Alfred?"

"Yeah?" the receptionist looked at Sam with curiosity.

"Please, keep Frisk away from trouble," Sam's eyes narrowed as he pointed towards the two children who were going at Frisk, "Especially— those two bullies over there."

...

Meanwhile, the Underground was abuzz with life, as in the capital, began the preparations for the annual Underground Games. It was something Toriel came up with, as a means for distinguishing the best monsters at the few sports that they could perform — like sword fighting, running, lifting weights — and, of course, as a means of entertainment. They realized that being trapped in here didn't really give them many possibilities for a living. But it was enough to make it better and keep them hoping that one day, the barrier will be destroyed — the king reassured them of that with the many speeches he delivered — and that the surface will be once again teeming with monsters.

 _"Do not abandon your hope,"_ Shamir thought as he looked at his father, remembering one of his speeches, _"do not let it be said that monsterkind gave up on their freedom, on their ideals! Believe in yourselves, believe in us! We'll do whatever we can to break down the barrier, to make sure we're back to sun's glorious light once more!"_

A loud knock could be heard on the large door of their home, and Toriel was the one to open it. Before her red eyes stood Catty, wearing decent attire — a red sweater and a black skirt — holding a large basket, and the purple feline managed to shyly smile as she asked about Shamir, while Toriel let a thought worm in her mind.

 _"What is she up to, this time?"_

The yellow-furred jaguar, dressed in his usual robes, appeared behind Toriel, with a serene smile on his muzzle as he noticed Catty. The purple feline's hair was gently fluttering with the wind, and that sight alone made Shamir's heartbeat race a little faster — something that didn't go unnoticed by his mother — the jaguar assured Toriel there would be no trouble in a little picnic somewhere among the golden flowers. _"Golden_ — _Wait, why did I mention them?"_ the feline Dreemurr questioned himself as the reminder of his dream lingered, not even hearing when Catty was talking to him.

"Uh, Shamir? Do you even hear me?" the purple feline held him in place, her green eyes staring intently at him.

"S-Sorry, Catty!" he smiled sheepishly, "I was just wondering about something I said earlier..." the jaguar guffawed.

"Okay, I believe you," Catty shook her head, "But, I really have to ask you something."

"Can't it wait until the picnic?" Shamir asked, looking a little bewildered.

"N-No." the purple feline said, as she gently flipped her hair.

 _"Did she just_ — _I hope it's nothing serious, really,"_ the jaguar thought for a moment before gently squeezing her paw and kept walking alongside her.

After a long, tiresome walk, they finally reached the golden flower patch at the beginning of the Underground— as most monsters called this place like that — and began setting the whole picnic up, with lots of treats like Butterscotch Pie from Toriel, Crab Apples from Gerson and spider-made sweets from Muffet, but Catty also brought up a few of her own treats, like chocolate cookies.  
They sat on the large, red blanket as Shamir took one slice of pie, while Catty grabbed a Crab Apple, their eyes meeting on more than one occasion. However, the purple feline's eyes were also scouting the large tunnel that led back to the Underground, as if... _"She's waiting for someone. Is she hiding me something?"_ the jaguar looked at her with curiosity, while Catty was slightly swishing her tail in aggravation, mumbling something under her breath. Eventually, her tail stopped the incessant swish-swash, as she noticed two silhouettes in the darkness— though one of them was far too eager to discern his identity.

Shamir froze in his spot as he heard the voice.

"SO, DO YOU THINK THE PICNIC WILL GO GREAT—" Papyrus's voice echoed through the tunnel as he approached the golden flower patch, walking alongside someone the jaguar did not expect to see. "HELLO THERE—OH." the skeleton immediately stopped talking, while the light above them was faintly giving out the usual attire he was wearing.

Undyne was at his side, beaming with glee, but the smile somewhat vanished the moment her eyes landed on her father. "Daddy? W-what are you—?" She was wearing slim black pants and a beautiful white T-shirt, like she usually did when walking around in town, and her red hair was gently flowing with the wind that also moved the golden flowers.

Shamir's voice broke through the silence as he blinked thrice, "Let me get this thing straight..." the jaguar paused for a moment, "... **You are dating Papyrus?!** "

...

Back on the Surface, there was another human that felt a little frustrated with the amount of work he had to deal with, and it certainly didn't help that many people criticized him when he first announced this possible theory. Some even laughed as his theory seemed ridiculous, and most thought he must've been under some serious mental issues if he believed in such a thing, but Roger Warforth was not the man to easily give up on what he learned throughout the years.  
His desk was filled with tons of papers that described the legend of Mt. Ebott and the abandoned town of Ebotton — he wasn't going to let it go, as some of his closest friends suggested — but the exhaustion was catching up to the young man as his head fell against a few papers in front of him, and had the strangest of dreams...

 _I woke up in a strange room that seemed to be decorated in a nineteenth-century style, with beautiful tapestry on the walls, a wooden nightstand, and large curtains hanging at the windows, sunlight gently touching the large, red carpet on the floor. As I stood at the edge of the bed, my feet felt the gruffness of the material_ — _it must've been wool_ — _and walked over to the large armoire in the room._  
 _Opening it, I noticed that, to my shock, there were all kinds of frock coats, button-up shirts and various ties on the hangers, while on the upper shelf, there were all kinds of hats_ — _a top-hat, a bowler_ — _just to name a few, but it still left me quite intrigued until I heard a loud knock on the door. "Enter," I say, not knowing who was before the door, until I saw a strange, hooded figure that let out a scream at me._

 _"Roger, you are_ — _"_

 **"Roger, you're called in the boss' office!"** a loud voice woke the sleeping man, making him grunt a little in pain from the sudden awakening.

"Ugh, what...? Wait, I 'ave to gat'er m'self up..." Roger groggily said, as he rubbed his forehead.

"Look, Roge, boss said he wants to see you now. If you don't—" the other man's voice said, in a panic.

"It's not like the bloody building is on fire, Gabe." Roger deadpanned, looking at the small-statured man with a piercing glare.

 _"If looks could kill..."_ Gabriel thought for a moment. _"But he doesn't realize the importance of his job, sometimes."_

While Roger had different thoughts in his mind, _"There are moments when these people just don't understand_ — _"_ he sighed for a moment as he looked at the panicked man before him, _"_ — _is that_ _if I could prove the existence of Ebotton, they would stop laughing, and a new era of discoveries would benefit humanity."_


	33. Return From Whence You Went (II)

**Me: Here goes the second part.  
**  
 **Shamir: Nothing else goes in here?**  
 **  
Me: No.  
**  
 **Shamir: How long —**  
 **  
Me: Don't. Ask.**  
 **  
Shamir: Okay.**

 **It's the end.**

* * *

 **Return From Whence You Went**  
 **\- Ending Drabble, part II -**

On the Surface, Sam Diller was rummaging the thought of going in disguise to adopt the child, but he was indeed pressured by a lot of things. And the first of these was the report on Cloverdale's orphanage **,** which he began writing just a few minutes ago as he drank some dark coffee from time to time — and answered a few calls — but there were times when he felt that he forgot the legal phrasing for some of the conditions he discovered in there.  
Among the pile of papers and dossiers, he also got Frisk's file as he wanted to go the legal way. He didn't want to adopt a child whose parents were still alive, but unfortunately for the child, they were orphan since the age of four — and now they were around eight — but still, Sam hoped that they would allow him to adopt the child faster, given the fact he was working in the NDCP.  
A female entered his office, and she looked at the tired man who was examining a worn out dossier with worry. She was under his supervision — recently hired at this station of NDCP — and cleared her throat to announce her presence, making Sam jolt a little as his eyes were now on the female officer before him. She was in her twenties, decently dressed in a below-the-knees black skirt and a white shirt that had its sleeves rolled up to the elbows, her badge proudly clasped to the waistline, and her green eyes were questioning the gaze Sam gave her.

"Sir," she eventually said, "I'm sorry I have to bother you, but—"

"Kate, it's okay, you don't bother me at all," the man said, as his blue eyes were still studying her. "Just go ahead with it."

"We just got a call from Cloverdale, saying that one of their children has gone missing." the red-headed female said, "I believe their name was Frankie—"

"It's Frisk," Sam deadpanned. "And they reported this just now?"

"I think the man on the phone — Alfred — said something about the kid leaving just yesterday. So he can't be really that far."

"The child's gender is unspecified, so please, refrain from —" Sam paused, "—doing that."

The black-bearded man huffed for a moment, before rushing to take the grey trench coat from the coat rack. He then lit up a cigarette to calm down his nerves, while Kate was looking at him with a perplexed gaze — she asked him to join the mission, but Sam sternly refused — as the redhead didn't understand what was driving the man to such lengths. Her boss also ensured someone else was in charge during his prolonged absence and asked his second-in-command to explain that he was on a delicate case.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Roger Warforth had to deal with being called by his boss — a thing he didn't like — mainly because said boss wasn't delighted by the recent idea that went through Warforth's head. The young researcher shook his head in frustration as he rose from his desk and walked out of his office, with Gabriel following him. Many questions were popping in Roger's head as he was trying to figure why his boss would call him at such a curious hour— it was six p.m., as the researcher glanced at his watch — while Gabriel, his colleague, was shivering with fear as their boss could be quite terrifying in terms of authority.

"S-so, uh—" Gabriel started to speak as he nervously adjusted his neck collar, "—how are you going to explain this to him?"

"He doesn't understand," Roger replied, "that I'm doing humanity a great favor by researching this mystery. Whatever is out there could benefit us a lot!"

"He told me you're wasting his money," his shorter colleague said, "And he plans to fire you quite soon."

Gabriel paused for a moment, noticing that Roger didn't reply at all to the rumors about his eventual dismissal. "Uh, —that's what I overheard—, d-don't get me wrong, okay?"

Roger stood silent as they were approaching a set of concrete stairs, and started climbing them as they led to the chief researcher's office, while Gabriel bit his lip in fear as they kept going. The young researcher before him had both an aura of a playful child — especially when he was documenting things for another of his crazy ideas — but he also showed maturity and responsibility when it was needed, and before him stood Roger, the part-time researcher hired by the Historical Institute of San Francisco.  
Outside of the chief researcher's office, yelling could be heard as the man was impatiently asking for something — like new artifacts to study — and that they weren't shipped to the institute as they should've been. Above the wooden door stood a plaque that said, "Chief Researcher: William Davidson, ." and Roger didn't stall, ready to face whatever Mr. Davidson had to throw at him.

He knocked on the door three times, before hearing an "I'll call back later" and a stern "Enter" behind it.

The chief researcher's office was — almost — an exact replica of Roger's, as it was filled with paperwork due to the delays of various artifacts and plans for expeditions, maps hanging on the walls along diplomas...In short, it was a total mess. And in all this mess, at the large, oak desk stood a somewhat corpulent man, in his thirties, recently shaven, with black hair and brown eyes, dressed in a white shirt with an open button at the neck, and a loosely hanging black tie with white stripes. Sweat seemed to bead on his forehead, as he leaned to take a handkerchief that was standing next to a support of pens and pencils, starting to wipe himself for a while.

"You can leave now, Gabriel," his low voice called out. "We'll be discussing your situation later."

"Very well, sir," the small-statured man quickly nodded before leaving the office.

"Sit down, Warforth," Davidson said. "You know why I called you here, right?"

Roger didn't say anything for the moment, — he was only happy to think of the multitude of snarky, ironic comments that he could serve on a platter to the man — but eventually, he muttered a "No, sir", followed by a mental irony addressed to Davidson, _"And if you want me to say again what proof I have in regards to Ebotton_ — _then I'm out of here."_

"Well—" the corpulent researcher leaned on his chair, "some of our fellow researchers from the other institutes have said—"

Roger immediately lifted his right hand, "If this is about my theory regarding Ebotton's existence—", he paused, "— then you can consider firing me if that's what you wish. I don't want to say again and again why evidence suggests it exists."

"Look here, Warforth," Davidson shook his head as he threw Roger a large envelope, "One of the other institutes asked for you to come down and analyze a potential lead in this—" the man paused to wipe his forehead, "— this legend of yours you're hunting so hard. Again, I don't know if it's true or not, but I don't want to give you false hopes."

His brown eyes affixed Roger. "And take it as a truce— there's no need to be at each other's throats for something like that."

 _"Is he serious about that?"_ the young researcher looked at his boss with a raised eyebrow, but given the fact that William Davidson was looking at him with a no-nonsense expression, he took it seriously as he grabbed the yellow envelope. Roger was still puzzled as to why would he be so understanding — but decided not to question his actions further — and walked out of the office, still wondering why.

Gabriel just walked out of a room, and looked with surprised eyes at the man who stood in the hall, holding an envelope and slightly smiling as if a new world just opened to him. He decided to approach Roger, and thought it would be wise to ask him about what happened back in the boss office, when the researcher again surprised him by opening the subject himself.

"He — gave me a list of institutes that might help me in researching the Ebotton theory better," Roger's voice was filled with excitement, "but, if I find in here a list of mental institutes — like last time — I'll be sure to call the police."

"I'm sure he didn't do that," Gabriel said, with a hopeful voice, "at first he was taking your theory as a joke."

Roger opened the envelope with shaking hands, fearful of what was in the list, until he recognized the name of one institute he used to work with — and exhaled in relief — he was now feeling a lot better, and somewhat reassured by the trust Davidson placed onto him. Gabriel was also relieved that their boss didn't decide to pull out a prank on poor Roger, but something did bother the latter, as a thought came up in his mind.

 _"Why did he suddenly decide to give me this? There has to be a reason why_ — _"_ he mused before being interrupted by Gabriel, who couldn't help asking a question that was on his mind for a good while.

"So, can you tell me more about those institutes? How does he know about them—" Gabriel paused, "— apart from the fact he's the boss?"

"Well," Roger said as he looked at the short man next to him, "I worked with these institutes before, on various theories about time and space fitting in historically known eras. Why?"

"It's funny he decided to give in to your theory—" the shorter researcher said, before Roger shot him a questioning glare.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" the brown-haired man asked, while Gabriel strongly shook his head in denial.

"Hell, no, man! I mean it; he thought your theory was crap and that you should be sent into an asylum."

"Oh, did he now?" Roger ironically asked, "Anyway, I think that—"

 _"He must be in for money. I heard him speaking the other day with a special agent from CIA..."_ the man mused, as he looked at the envelope.

"You think that...?" Gabriel pressed on.

"There's something else in here —" the young researcher started pacing up and down the corridor, "I heard him speaking with the CIA."

"What the hell? Why?" the shorter man's green eyes were following the researcher's pace.

"Said he has more evidence about aliens existing, and that my theory about Ebotton might just prove that," Roger huffed.

"It's not true!" Gabriel knit his brows in anger, "We both know just what this theory is about, Roge'. And it's definitely not aliens we're—"

"Shh, Gabe," Roger placed a hand on the man's brown and white checkered shirt, as he leaned to whisper in his ear, "I'll make sure that whatever is there— if it's there — won't end up in the govt's hands. I want to use this chance to explore my theory further."

...

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Sam Diller was currently trying to find the missing child — Frisk — as he was travelling in his black truck, which was a little untidy due to the amount of dirt and dust accumulated from travelling in the prairie. He was paying attention to every child he drove by, some were accompanied by their parents, some were playing in the parks, until Sam noticed a small child coming out from a shadowy alley that quickly withdrawn when he stopped the car a few meters away from them.  
He then descended, worried about their state, but the child was far too scared to come out from the alley— still, that didn't deter Sam from doing the right thing — and walked towards the shadowed alley with his arms wide open, talking to Frisk in a calm manner. But the small, dark brown haired child was not going to come as easily as Sam hoped, because they were afraid.

Afraid that someone from the orphanage would take them away, and everything would end there — with them walloping in misery.

But Sam was outright determined to see them safe, to watch over them.

"Come here, Frisk!" the black-bearded man called out to the frightened child. "Don't worry; they're not going to come for you!"

The child was, however, too crippled with fear to really trust the man who stood with open arms in the light of the dawn, and kept holding onto the large dumpster as they tried to ignore the horrible stench coming from it. Though Sam wasn't going to give up on calling out to them, and advanced a little as Frisk was still wavering in their decision to go with the man — their fright was justified, of course — but the man's gestures definitely showed care and protection.

Something they were denied a long time ago.

 _"Please, Frisk..."_ Sam was mentally hoping that they would eventually give in, until he noticed the child's form slowly moving towards him, the footsteps audible on the hard pavement of the street. Eventually, Frisk came closer to the man, their hair and clothes briefly touched by the dawning sun, yet their face wasn't still in clear view.

"I promise I'm not going to send you back there," the black-haired man said to them with a reassuring tone in his voice, "you can trust me, Frisk. My name is Sam and I—"

His speech was interrupted by the child's sudden rush in the man's open arms, as they started crying tears they've been holding back for too long — too long to count for, anyway — and Sam put his arms around the child, gently patting their back with one hand, trying to whisper comforting words. He wasn't a father, but he was a dedicate employee of NDCP, and his wish for every child he met during his cases was one that he hoped to fulfill for Frisk too.

 _"To find the child a loving family, to see them grow..."_

...

In the Underground, the tension between the four monsters was growing with each second Papyrus and Undyne were under Shamir's scrutinizing gaze, while Catty was looking at the latter with curious green eyes as she was caught off-guard by his question as well — it was like she didn't expect him to be so bewildered about it. Though Undyne didn't want to let it slide, and promptly noogied the tall skeleton as she flashed a big grin towards her father, reassuring him that they were just hanging out and there was nothing to worry about.

 _"Like that was my worry,"_ Shamir mentally deadpanned as he eventually invited the two to sit down on the large picnic blanket, yet the tension was still obvious — it could be cut with a knife — a thing that made Catty try and offer both to Undyne and Papyrus the various treats she and Shamir brought along. The taller skeleton eventually moved next to Shamir, even though he felt quite pressured under the jaguar's gaze, while Catty invited Undyne to come next to her and started discussing various topics that the two male monsters didn't even listen to.

"So, —" Shamir asked, trying to defuse the tension as he picked up a slice of Toriel's butterscotch pie, "how long have you and Undyne been hanging out?"

"WELL, WE STARTED HANGING OUT MORE OFTEN AFTER A LIGHT SPAR..." Papyrus began to say, as he took one of Muffet's spider pastries, while Shamir tried to stifle his laughter as a thought came up in his mind.

 _"It's typical for Undyne to make out of everything a light spar. She's a warrior with a hot temper that_ — _sometimes_ — _gets her into trouble. But I wonder how this turned out."_

"...AND IT ENDED WITH US IN A VERY EMBARASSING SITUATION." the skeleton lightly blushed as he took a quick peek in Undyne's direction.

"Really? How embarrass—" Shamir was going to ask, before he realized, and his right eye started twitching in a comical manner.

 _"No way THAT happened..."_

(?)

In another Underground, a skeleton was walking alongside a lab-coated human through Waterfall, and their discussion seemed to be quite lively — though the human's expression was shifting back and forth from a neutral to a worried frown — as their topic of conversation was a very serious one.

"...and he arrived just before me," the skeleton sighed as he clenched his right fist, "standing there, with a sick grin on his face as he looked at every single part of that universe—"

"What universe did you just say he erased?" the human scientist looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"It was full of colored characters that were enjoying life—" the skeleton lightly tugged on his blue scarf, "—and didn't feel morose in the slightest. My version of that universe was dressed like a hip-hop singer of sorts. Frisk, we need to—"

"Ah, of all the universes, he picked that one," the human scientist named Frisk interrupted him. "It's quite a shame; the experiments proved they were able to break the barrier at a point. Did he say anything else, Ink?"

"He spoke in a cryptic manner —" Ink sighed, "— saying the next universe is very different, yet so similar to the Classic timeline. Do you have any idea which one it could be?"

"No," Core!Frisk said. "But there are a number of universes that fit this value—" the scientist paused, "— one of them is the interesting Altershift."

"If he's headed there..." Ink mused, slightly worried as one of his eyes glowed with a gold light. "He will destroy them with no hesitation at all."

(Void)

Chara and Gaster stood in front of two big, glowing images that showed Altershift and the Classic timeline — both seemed to go through relatively peaceful moments — but they couldn't help worry about what is going to happen next, as Ink already visited them and explained that one had to warn the Classic timeline in some manner. The spirit-like human child stood in front of the Classic timeline's panel, huffing in annoyance, while Gaster looked at Altershift's panel with both concern and glee — though neither exchanged a word during their examination.

It wasn't until Chara let out a frustrated sigh, that they actually started to talk once more about the pressing matter at hand.

"I just like those time-space travellers," the human child said through their teeth, "they warn you about what HAS to be done, but nothing about HOW to do that thing."

"At least, the young skeleton came with an intriguing plan," Gaster said as he had a thoughtful expression on his bony face. "There must be a way to accomplish this..."

"There's NO way to accomplish this, Gaster," Chara shook their head; "I can't just go there and warn them about what kind of hell is expecting them."

 _"And yet, it has to be done,"_ the tall, skeleton scientist thought.

 _"There's no other solution to this."_


	34. Return From Whence You Went (III)

**First off, I want to say I'm sorry for taking so long with updating this!**  
 **Life got in the way, and unfortunately I didn't have that much time with tinkering over the last part of the ending drabble, as it's the end of Altershift's tale as a whole.**

 **At least, that's what I think it is.**

 **Shamir: You did your best, Shock.**

 **Me: Thanks for being so supportive, bud, it really warms my heart.**

 **Shamir: Let's get to it, right? *hugs ShockDreemurr***

 **Me: Yeah...Let's get to it. Also, while this is the final chapter...**

 **...I might make an epilogue too — stay tuned for that!**

 **Let's start this already, shall we?**

 **You think why you're here...**  
 **You're filled with DETERMINATION.**

* * *

The remainder of the picnic went on without any other incident, and the air was filled with lighthearted banter as the two male, respectively the two female monsters were discussing various things — and Shamir couldn't be more pleased with this — especially as he found Papyrus to be a rather interesting skeleton, despite his usual, flamboyant air. He knew many things as Sans seemed to have taken good care that his brother would actually be both a smart and kind monster, something that resonated within Shamir as he remembered how Toriel and Asgore did the same for him.

One night, a much younger Shamir inadvertently discovered an old, battered radio inside their house, and he gave it a controlled lightning charge to start it up — hearing a strange, interesting tune that stirred mixed emotions within — he couldn't understand what the song said, yet he felt both a sense of power and longing. It wasn't until he heard a voice at the other end that explained it was a war and love song, somewhere in their history, and even translated the whole song to those who didn't understand it. But the jaguar's SOUL was filled with the intensity of that song. "So, the soldier at the far frontier, eh...?" he uttered for a moment as one of his paws gently stroke his chin.

His moment of recollection was interrupted by a loud sound, and he charged his paws with lightning in a rapid manner, eyes narrowed in anticipation. Everyone looked at him with curious eyes, while he eventually realized his reaction was quite out of place, and powered down his paws as he laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry, the sound startled me —" he said, but stopped as he noticed Catty's face was covered in small cuts. "Y-you've fallen? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay, Shamir," the purple feline replied with a small smile as she rushed a paw through her black hair, "— But you don't look okay. What happened?"

"Nothing," the jaguar said calmly as he arranged his robes, "I was just thinking over a song I heard in my youth."

"NYEH...?" Papyrus looked at Shamir a little intrigued, "WHAT IS THIS SONG YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?"

"Yeah, Dad, you never told me about —" Undyne eagerly said, before being cut off by the jaguar's lifted paw.

"Well, I don't like to brag about being able to sing, you know..." Shamir smiled. "Still, I can vaguely remember the tune."

"Maybe you can hum it, and I'll try to play it on the piano?" Undyne suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea, Undyne!" the yellow-furred feline said excitedly.

"N-NYEH, THE GREAT SHAMIR IS RIGHT! HEARING YOU PLAY THE PIANO WILL BE ABSOLUTELY—"

"Nu-uh, not so fast, Papyrus," Undyne lightly teased the skeleton, "You still have to get my dad's permission," the fish monster paused as her eyes were staring right into Papyrus' eyesockets, "— because he doesn't give his precious daughter to any skeleton like that."

Shamir sweatdropped, as he watched the exchange with hilarity, and shook his head in amusement reassuring Papyrus he wasn't going to do anything of the sort. Catty was also stifling her laughter as she looked at the three monsters before her, until she heard a distinct pitter-pawing at the end of the somewhat darkened corridor, and warned everyone to be on their guard. Both Undyne and Shamir stood ready in front of the two monsters — the first in front of Papyrus, who looked at her with curiosity, studying her from behind — and the latter in front of Catty, who noticed that Shamir's tail was wagging in aggravation.

"Who goes there?" Undyne asked, "If it's a bad guy, me and my Dad will take you down!"

"Not a guy—" the voice replied as she left out a chuckle, "— but a girl. And I'm definitely not evil, ehehehe!"

"Oh, it's just Bratty," Catty exhaled in relief as she recognized the voice, "you can drop your warrior stances, you two." the purple feline shot a glare towards Undyne and Shamir, who dropped their stances with chuckles escaping them, as their faces were quite comical in expression.

The female alligator approached them with glee, as she was wearing a large mauve dress adorned with floral designs and carried a basket full of groceries, but her expression was betraying a deeper feeling — a feeling of love, maybe? —and, as they resumed their walk towards their homes, it seemed like Bratty wanted to discuss something privately with Catty, dragging the purple feline closer to her. That left Undyne, Papyrus and Shamir in a confused state, as they kept going onwards towards Snowdin, while the jaguar calmly hummed a partial tune and looked over the two monsters next to him, which seemed to want some privacy as well.

 _"Ah well,"_ thought Shamir, _"this is going to be a long walk towards home, but at least I will keep humming the tune to keep myself entertained..."_

 **(Meanwhile, at the Surface...)**

While the monsters were heading back to their homes, the humans were dealing with their own issues — as they were — yet, two humans' concern over their issues was far more pressing. One was busy saving a child's life, while the other one...

...was busy proving the reality of his theory.

As Roger was sitting at his desk, searching through the papers given by his boss and constantly calling to the institutes, a feeling of both dread and excitement was slowly creeping on him — dreading the fact that all of this was put forward under the guise of a hoax mostly — but he was far too pleased with the progress so far, as three institutes were willing to help him in the research.

One of them was situated in Esbon, Kansas, and little did he know that...

 _"This is going to be the start of a brand new adventure!"_

In the other side of San Francisco, Sam Diller was driving on the crowded roads of the town, while on the passenger seat, Frisk was soundly asleep as they gently sucked their thumb — a reminiscence of infancy — and the black-bearded man couldn't do much but cast a glance every now and then over the sleeping child and softly smiling at how peaceful they seemed to be. _"The child has gone through too much already..."_ he thought, before being cut off by a static noise that came out from the torpedo.

"Shit." he cursed under his breath as he pulled over next to a general wares store and gently tried to open the torpedo, without waking Frisk. Though the child left out a small yawn and blinked twice in response to the sudden movement, noticing Sam was taking something out of that drawer he found curious for a car to have, while the man was happy to ask Frisk that they should get some more rest as he picked up the walkie-talkie.

He then got out of the car, a little frustrated about the fact that whoever was on the line wanted to interrupt the task ahead of him, until —

"Unit 23-9, you in there?" a male voice rang through the radio station.

"I'm here," Sam replied coldly, "What is so urgent that you—"

"Diller—" the male voice said, a little irritated, "Do you have _any_ idea just in what trouble you're in?"

"Like what?" the black-bearded man asked.

"Like what, _sir_ ," the voice said, "I am still your superior, Diller."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wilkinson, sir," Sam talked through the radio, "But what kind of trouble I'm in?"

"Well, first I asked the police to put a BOLO on you, because _apparently_ , you've kidnapped—"

"No, no, no." Sam Diller interjected, as he rubbed his forehead in sheer frustration, "I did not kidnap any child. Let me explain, sir. The situation goes —"

Sam fully disclosed everything that he knew, until the voice at the other end couldn't say anything else than an apology and wished good luck to his subordinate, hoping that his task at hand would eventually reach a happy ending. Though, his boss did warn him about a thing that he didn't take into consideration.

 _"Be careful on the road ahead."_

 **(...In the Underground)**

Shamir felt a little alone as everyone else around was busy talking, and sighed as in his mind, various thoughts about Sans and his inner journey were whirling with fury. His absence had a greater impact on Papyrus and Alphys — especially Alphys, as the jaguar remembered — while Papyrus seemed to take some comfort in dating Undyne, and even he had to admit that the skeleton's absence was something he displeased. After all, Sans was the one that taught him about the billions and billions of stars that he could see when they were once on the Surface — and then Shamir's thoughts paused upon the barrier — the feline clenched his fist in anger, slightly gritting his teeth, his canines visible and a lot sharper than before.

 _"That blasted barrier! I would break it down with my own paws if I could. Our hopes and dreams are hanging by a thread and_ — _"_

"Shamir...? Are you—" Catty asked, seeing that he looked a little angry and quite gruff, though when their eyes met, he seemed to calm down.

"I'm sorry," the jaguar sighed in frustration, "Just some thoughts going through my mind... I'm concerned about Sans, Alphys, my journey—MMPH!"

Catty greatly surprised him by pressing her lips against his, making Shamir submit fully to the sweetness of their kiss — she tasted like chocolate cake, mixed with an aroma of butterscotch — and held her closer to him as she dug her nails in his back, the jaguar leaving out a soft murr as he was enraptured by their passionate exchange. Bratty was watching the whole thing and softly laughed, impressed on how easily she could just make him forget about everything, but at the same time...

...She couldn't deny that she felt a little lonely in that department.

Undyne and Papyrus were also looking at the couple, a little embarrassed by what they saw, but something inside Papyrus' SOUL was stirring as he wished to do something like that with Patricia — though his skull was conflicted by the mixed feelings he had towards Undyne.

 _"N-NO WAY I C-CAN EVER BE WITH U-UNDYNE. I MEAN, YES SHE'S ATTRACTIVE, SHE'S SMART, SHE'S HEROIC, SHE'S ABSOLUTELY PERFE_ — _DAMNIT GREAT DAZZLING STAR OF THE UNDERGROUND, WON'T YOU ADMIT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HER?!"_

Papyrus looked at Undyne with a faint tint of blush gracing his face, and, emboldened by the scene before him, he took the fish warrior within his arms, looking at her with tenderness. The fish monster looked back, and she was quite unsure of what was going to happen next, when the tall skeleton pressed his lips against hers, completely befuddling Undyne — whose eyes were still wide, and then slowly closed as she gave in to the kiss — it was the gesture that could only mean one thing.

Papyrus was no longer running away from his feelings.

 **(Ancienttale Universe)**

Somewhere else, Sans was walking alone, as Hermesans decided to leave him to his own thoughts. The small skeleton scientist shoved his hands deep in the blue jacket and began to think on possible ways to deal with the evil flower that lingered somewhere near Zeus Asgore's home, feeling like he did this before — countless times — and every time he managed to defeat the flower. _"he won't be getting me this time, oh no,"_ Sans thought, _"there's nothing to hold me back from going ho_ — _"_

His chain of thoughts was suddenly interrupted, and realized he bumped into something — or rather someone — because he had to blink twice, and didn't even realize who was standing in front of him. The monster before him was clad in full armor, proudly holding a spear, while an owl was standing on their shoulder, and Sans felt a little scared, possibly thinking it was this universe's version of Undyne.

But when he heard the monster's voice, he could feel his SOUL pulsing faster than before, sweat slowly beading on his skull as he couldn't believe it.

"H-Hi, metic Sans!"

"hi, stranger," Sans replied. "your voice is a little furmiliar to me."

The armored monster let a small chuckle before saying, "I am Pallas Athenys, guardian of wisdom and of military warfare," and then she removed the somewhat large helmet that was covering her head. "And you're the metic everyone seems to speak of, as they look to you with some degree of fear."

"i tend to cause that kind of reaction, don't i?" the skeleton laughed. "anyway, i don't intend to harm anyone — except for that flower."

"You speak of Narcissus," Athenys sighed. "He is somewhere nearby, but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it."

"my specialty is to send flowers like these..." Sans's eyesockets darkened for a moment, "burning in hell."

"Hermesans likes to say that about Narcissus too," the lizard warrior commented.

However, in her mind, there was only one thought.

 _"Don'taskabouthisalphys don'taskabouthisalphys—"_

"So, how's your Alphys?"

 _"Damnit Athenys!"_

"ehehehe," Sans blushed, "she's quite the brave one sometimes. and she's cool with lightning magic, just like my buddy, Shamir _—_ "

"Who's Shamir?"

"ah, my best friend..." the skeleton sighed for a moment, "from back home. he's a nice monster once you get to know him better."

"I see...Well, unlike my counterpart from your home, I do not use lightning magic. I am quite proficient with throwing spears, though!"

 _"so you're more like the undyne of this universe."_ Sans mentally chuckled as he knew Undyne would've been excited to see this Alphys.

"and i guess undyne is...?"

"Oh, she's the beautiful nymph that lives in the lake there," Athenys pointed out with her spear towards a distant lake, its' glimmer visible from afar. "Though I haven't visited her lately. She's mostly biding her time playing around Hermesans' brother, Apollo Papyrus."

"i see." the skeleton grinned. "anyway, it was nice meeting you, Athenys. i still have some pat-away to cover."

The lizard monster tried hard to stifle her laughter, but the attempt was futile — and then she walked away, wishing Sans good luck. Zeus Asgore's home wasn't too far away now, and he noticed the odd clouds surrounding some construction that seemed to look like a temple, feeling that his only task for now was defeating Narcissus.

 _"hoping that the prick won't be LOADING or RESETing the timeline, because— i swear i will burn him over and over again."_ the scientist skeleton thought as he shook his head and made his way towards the large temple before him.

 _"would'ja look at the time..."_

 **(Meanwhile, in Altershift...)**

After a long walk, Shamir and Catty eventually reached Waterfall — and their home —, seemingly tired and quite drowsy — mostly in Shamir's case — but just before the jaguar could even climb a few steps, the purple feline grabbed his robes for a moment, forcing the somewhat exhausted jaguar to look in her eyes.

"You promised me that you'll cool it with the Royal Guard, and here you are, looking all spent!" Catty admonished him. "No wonder you don't even—"

"I did manage to stay through the picnic, didn't I?" Shamir tiredly replied. "I just don't—"

"No more excuses, Shamir. You'll call off Royal Guard duties for at least two weeks!" the purple feline commanded, her eyes narrowed in slight irritation.

Shamir was content on remaining silent.

"Just—" Catty gently cuddled herself on his chest, "do it for me, if you can't do it for yourself."

The jaguar sighed, knowing there was no arguing _that_ sweetened tone — he knew that she did that only once — and then put his paws around her, gently hugging her. "You know I'm a warrior, I cannot idly sit around for more than a few hours."

"Come on, Fluffytail," the purple cat purred, "there's no need to go all soldierly on me."

"Fine, you win, you win," Shamir rolled his azure eyes while smiling, "I can't defeat an expert commander like you—"

"— Not when she's using all of her feminine tricks." the jaguar's smile became a playful smirk as he took her bridal style up on the stairs.

"Ehehehe..." Catty lightly chuckled.

...

Undyne was somehow glad that Sans wasn't there — she couldn't have taken any of his puns right now — but she was disappointed noticing there was no piano in the skeleton brothers' home. _"You would think Papyrus would own such a thing, given the fact that he's a star..."_ the fish warrior sat on the red couch as she admired the living room, while Papyrus was busy cooking his spaghetti recipe. The scent of freshly cooked pasta filled the air, and Undyne's stomach immediately responded with a low growling sound — and she was drooling from the scent alone — while the tall skeleton hummed the tune Shamir did during their journey back.

"HMM...THERE YOU GO! FRESHLY COOKED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AND APPROVED BY HIS BROTHER, THE AMAZING SCIENTIST SANS! ER—" Papyrus stopped as he remembered that there was no way to imitate Sans' line, as annoying as that pun was, and sighed for a moment as he gave Undyne the plate and then threw himself on the couch, apparently...sobbing?

"Papyrus...?" the fish monster said, gently putting the plate on the table, next to the kitchen door, and then rushing to comfort Papyrus the best way that she can. "Papyrus, it's ok—"

"NO IT'S NOT, UNDYNE! HE'S NOT HERE. HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE THE SAME OPTIMISTIC, DAZZLING STAR EVERYONE KNOWS AND ADORES?"the tall, still sobbing skeleton said, through some hiccups.

"Well, uh, —" Undyne began to say, _"God, it feels so awkward!"_

"Y-YES...?" he asked, his cracking voice a plea.

 _"You have me, Papyrus. You're not alone."_

...

"Tori?" the king's baritone voice called out.

"Yes, Gorey? What is it—" Toriel put her paws over her muzzle, her eyes widened in shock. "No..."

"I'm afraid it's true, Tori," Asgore shook his head, "Alphys has poisoned herself with buttercups."

Before the two goat monsters' eyes laid the lizard's form among the golden flowers, as their mind could only go back to Asriel and Chara — who adored these flowers — and immediately took the monster from the golden flower field in the inner courtyard of the castle.

"Don't tell Shamir about this just yet..." Toriel sighed, "He will panic for sure, as she is his daughter."

"He still has to know, though," the king huffed, "I wonder what pushed the little lizard to such a gesture."

"Perhaps Sans' disappearance is affecting her more than before." the matronly goat monster said, as she dusted her Delta runed robes, "I hope we can successfully take out the poison from her body..."

One thought was going through the Boss Monsters' minds as they were treading the castle's corridors, _"Alphys is going to be dust by the time Sans comes back_ — _if he comes back..."_

...

 **(Shamir's Dreamscape, later that night)**

The jaguar blinked for a moment, as he didn't remember this dream too well — until a familiar voice rang in his head, _"Oh? Back again, old me? It feels like eons since you've last come here."_ and noticed the red robes he was wearing, as well as the surroundings...

...And a certain shorter jaguar that looked at him in curiosity, as if waiting for some answers.

 _"I remember this dream now,"_ the red-robed jaguar mentally deadpanned as he rubbed his forehead in frustration, _"It's been, indeed, quite a while since I last came here."_ He blinked twice to shake away his thoughts, and then cleared his throat.

"As we stand in here," Shamir said, "I realize just how fool I was in my youth! To actually believe that pride will take me anywhere—"

"Old me," the teenage Shamir sighed, "I don't want to hear that word anymore."

"Listen, young one," the red-robed jaguar smiled, "You are a Dreemurr — that will never change. You are more than capable of handling the royal duty that has been placed on your shoulders."

"But you say that—" the white-robed teen feline bit his lip, "pride is what will lead me to an arrogant, well, you. I-I mean, more than I am now."

"Yes, pride will indeed lead you _that_ way, unless you learn how to hone it at the right time." Shamir explained with large gestures. "I may not know how to do it myself, but one thing is for sure — I do not believe anymore in Ratoveros' words. And I'll certainly not allow him to trample over me..."

"So, pride is a complicated thing, isn't it?" teen Shamir laughed. "It can be dangerous only when it's directed towards self, right?"

"Nobody said you can't be proud of your own progress or of your friends. Though, it is wise to remember that too much gloating will lead you to loneliness, and that you should never _ever_ feel envious of their progress. Everyone is growing _their own way, in their own rhythm_."

"Wow, old me!" the teen jaguar's eyes where shining with glee, "You know, you do have the potential to be better royalty than I can ever be—"

"You also have that potential," Shamir smiled. "Together, we can stand as one for the greater purposes, whichever those might be..."

Out of a sudden, the teen jaguar transformed into a ball of light and basked the red-robed feline, whose robes returned to their original color. However, teen Shamir didn't hesitate in thanking his older self for this important and valuable lesson, a lesson he never truly understood until now. As Shamir was standing amidst the golden flowers, he noticed the sun's light was growing brighter and brighter, until...

 **(Reality, in the Dreemurr Residence)**

"Good morning, my child," Toriel's cheerful voice rang in the jaguar's room.

"Mornin', Mom," Shamir groggily replied, "Wait, how are you—"

"Hee hee hee~" the matronly goat monster giggled, "You and Catty came in here last night — you looked like you were smiling, but also very tired — she mentioned you stopped for a while in Waterfall. When I asked her to stay the night, she refused, saying she had something to do."

 _"What? What could she—"_

"She didn't say anything else?" the jaguar rubbed his forehead as he stood at the edge of his large bed. "It's very unlike her to be so..."

"Sneaky?" Toriel completed. "I know, Shamir, it did make me wonder what she could do at that time."

 _"If she's...No, it can't really be that, knock it off!"_

"Yeah, I wonder that too," Shamir replied after a long pause. "I'll be downstairs in a few minutes."

The jaguar looked at his robes, only to notice they were quite torn — as if someone was quite vicious with it — and he didn't recall being in any fight or anything. That meant he had to resort to a large, blue button up shirt from his father that had a Delta rune on its' back, and a pair of dark pants. _"That will do, and I must tell Mom about the state of my robes — that makes my fighting attire!"_ the jaguar thought before going out of his room and descending the stairs.  
He could hear Toriel gently humming a tune to herself, which made him smile as he remembered this lullaby from his childhood, and always wanted to learn it on the piano. As he walked in the kitchen, the familiar scent of butterscotch invaded his nostrils, causing the jaguar to drool a little as his stomach immediately rumbled.

"Hee hee~" Toriel laughed, "looks like you're quite hungry, my child. Here, have a slice of pie." the goat mother smiled as she placed a slice of butterscotch pie on the large table.

"Y-yeah, I'm quite hungry," Shamir chuckled as he sat down at the table. "Where's Dad?"

"Oh? He's in the garden, tending to the flowers—" the matronly monster said, but then she stopped her gaze to the window that showed Asgore in his usual outfit — he's been wearing the pink sweater more and more often for the last few days — and noticed that he seemed to be speaking with a flower.

 _"I trust Asgore didn't lose his mind right now..."_

 **(Meanwhile, in Ancienttale Universe...)**

Sans stood before the temple's entrance, his left eye emanating a soft cyan glow as he was ready to face this so-called Narcissus — though he couldn't really trust this timeline's Flowey, for the first time in forever he seemed nice — as opposed to this other flower he was supposed to battle in order to leave. The scientist skeleton took another step, only to be blocked by large vines covered in spikes, though they were darker than he remembered, and in the shadows, a twisted grin could be seen as the possessor of those vines began to speak, in a bass-like voice, with aggressiveness.

"You're that pitiful metic, aren't you? Well..." Narcissus chuckled, "you ain't going to beat me that easily!"

"heh," Sans chuckled, as his left eye glowed even brighter, _"i actually can send you in hell."_

The skeleton summoned a Gaster Blaster that cut through the vines, and then aimed it for the large trees where Narcissus was hiding, the blue magical ray effectively cutting the trees in front of Zeus Asgore's home. Narcissus retaliated by sending out lethal shuriken leaves towards Sans, who deflected them with a well-timed bone wall. Their exchange, so far, didn't show anything yet — but it was obvious the dark-looking flower was going to be far more challenging than Flowey itself — and all the timelines Sans experienced were enough practice for a time such as this.  
Narcissus then started to take form of a giant flower-like statue, his vines wriggling in the air like tentacles and his eyes were glowing orange. The flower then summoned two orange rays from his eyes, forcing Sans to warp out of the beams' range, but then a large wall of spikes erupted from the ground, almost impaling the skeleton, who jumped in the nick of time over them.  
 _"i think i underestimated the weed..."_ the scientist skeleton thought as he summoned three Gaster Blasters and fired at Narcissus, with no effective damage whatsoever — and the flower retaliated by sending a combination of orange spikes and white friendliness pellets, a few grazing Sans's lab coat and skull.

 _"totally underestimated the weed,"_ he grimly noted, as his HP was now standing at 0.99.

"Got nothing to say, metic?" Narcissus taunted, "You look pretty weak and vulnerable!" the flower hissed as a combination of orange and black spikes were whooshing their way towards Sans, the scientist barely blocking them with a strong bone wall, and retaliated with four Gaster Blasters as two of the Blasters' rays managed to burn down two out of eight vines.

"huh, you thought i'm going to take it like that?" Sans shrugged casually, as he grinned. "told you i can send you in hell, weed." the skeleton said as he engulfed the hybrid SOUL within Narcissus in blue magic, and lifted him higher before violently slamming the flower in the grounds surrounding Zeus Asgore's home, dust rising from the impact.

Sans was now lightly panting, as the effort was starting to get to him — his HP dropped at 0.97 from the amount of exertion — and somehow wished that he trained more with Shamir and Undyne to fortify his endurance. Narcissus, however, seemed to have underestimated the skeleton before him, and was grunting in pain from the violent crash that was inflicted upon him.

"Tsk," the flower said, "I-I may be hurt right now, but unlike my brother, I have regenerative powers."

 _"wh-"_

"Powers gifted to me from the absorption of two SOULS, one of Hatred and one of Bravery."

 _"no, this- this can't be happening!"_

Indeed, the flower's wounds were slowly healing, and he managed to pick himself up and grin at the skeleton before him. "You really thought you can send me in hell? Well, Hades is enough for me." But Sans wasn't willing to give up like that — the door to Zeus Asgore's home meant a way to reach his home — and that was enough to fuel him with hope, apparently. Sans' HP grew back to 0.99, and clenched his fist in fury.

"i meant what i said, my shots were not yet lethal." the skeleton left out a dark chuckle as a cyan aura started to surround him, forcing Narcissus to cover his eyes. "but now, consider this as a _game on_ , buddy." Sans said as his eyes opened, both glowing cyan.

 _"you'll be nothing but dust power by the time i finish with you."_

 **(Altershift, after two days)**

There was a lot of talk in the Underground, as something outright remarkable happened two days ago, and they couldn't believe it, but the Dreemurrs were convinced that this meant a lot to his progress. Though, as usual, there were voices that doubted Shamir's progress — including Ratoveros — and believed that Shamir will be back to his old ways in no time, with what happened.

But the jaguar was _determined_ to prove them wrong, as he went towards Waterfall, looking for a house in particular — or what was left of it — and noticed a small note that wasn't completely charred. On it there was a quote that seemed to have inspired the monster he just saved, even at this age...

 _Determination is what pushes us all forward._  
 _That's what King Asgore said._

 _"My father..."_ Shamir thought as tears of joy were welling up in his eyes, _"At every step, I find myself surrounded by their teachings, their love."_ He didn't notice that a lizard-like monster approached him, holding what seemed like a recording device, probably taken from the Garbage Dump.

"Prince Shamir?" the monster's voice called out, "I'm Kat, the reporter for the Underground Gazette."

"Miss Kat," the jaguar folded his arms "I'm not going to recount the events that have transpired two days ago. I rescued the child out of selflessness, how many times do I have to tell monsterkind that so they would understand?"

"Did he even thank you?" Kat asked.

"He did, if that's what you're concerned about. His state is under my family's watch, as the interim Royal Scientist is currently unable to do her work." Shamir closed his eyes, a thin line forming on his muzzle as he said the last words.

Finding out about Alphys' probable suicide was worse than everything — and he spent the last few days watching over her — he still didn't understand what could've pushed her so far. Undyne was also concerned, as she spent a few nights watching over her little sister, surprising the jaguar with her tender nature that she rarely showed.  
Now, he was the hero of the day, because he saved Monster Kid from the house that was now completely burned. The fire started from the kid's carelessness with a match, and his parents were under supervision as well — Papyrus and Shyren offered themselves to host the two wounded older lizards, which managed to get out on their own. What shocked Shamir was that neither parent was concerned about their child's state, and he bravely wandered in the burning building, searching for MK, who was hiding in a closet somewhere up in his bedroom.  
Shamir picked the child in his arms, as he jumped through the nearest window, protecting MK with his body. The scars and bruises from that day were healed, though the memory of that fire was not going to leave the jaguar's mind for a long time— or the parents' behavior towards the kid.

"Well, uh, thanks for your time." Kat eventually said, breaking the silence between her and the feline monster. "You really are a hero, Prince Shamir."

 **(Somewhere in the Void)**

"He looks like he's off to a good start, isn't he?" Chara lightly scoffed. "We both know that he is going to fall again for the sin of Pride." the child added, as he looked at Gaster.

But the scientist was worried about the disturbances he felt in the Anti-Void. "He will, as Pride can truly be a dangerous thing, indeed. But he's able to overcome himself — he knows that he's a Dreemurr, and he believes in what he has been taught by them more in anything else."

"Let's just hope he stays that way, right? And maybe he'll find a way to free us from this Void."

"Doctor Gaster is right on one thing about Shamir, Chara. He is a Dreemurr." Asriel stated, matter-of-factly. "And he is going to be as determined as the Classics in their timeline. I can feel it," the goat monster placed his paw over his chest.

"There's also the matter of Ink's plan...If he truly believes that I can be a reckoning force against Error, then I'll do whatever I can to protect the Void, until this is done."

"That prick will be back, someday, I know it." Chara clenched his fist. "But we're going to stand against him with everything we have."


	35. Epilogue: Part One

**Me: Well, first I have to say...Sorry for the long wait.**

 **Shamir: No need to apologize, my friend. I'm sure your readers will understand.**

 **Me: I truly hope so, Shamir. *sweatdrops***

 **Shamir: This is that...epilogue thing you were talking about?**

 **Me: Yes, this is it. But, before we start, I want to let you know that scene breaks between parantheses like this, [The Golden Forest, a long time ago...], mark flashbacks.**

 **Shamir: Anything else?**

 **Me: Yes, at the end of this. But let's not spoil it... Let's start it, shall we?**

 **Both: Epilogue...START!**

 **Forward to a Better Future...?  
a.k.a  
Altershifted Drabbles Epilogue**

Dust.

It was all that Zeus Asgore could see before his calm, blue eyes, as he stood in the doorframe of his home. Yet, in the midst of the brown, glittering cloud, he could see a shadow in the shape of a small man, still standing — and the Supreme Deity called out the wind to his help — only to notice that the forest, which majestically adorned these lands, was completely gone, and the man was now revealed to be a skeleton wearing a strange cloth on him.

Zeus Asgore also heard a low groan, and noticed that Narcissus was hopelessly trapped under a giant boulder, which made the large goat monster smile in relief. _"It was about time someone took out that hypocrite."_ He then approached the still standing skeleton, yet he couldn't even properly introduce himself, for the brave monster fell in the Deity's arms.

 _"He is weakened, a lot of his magic is almost gone..."_ the goat monster thought as he carried him inside the large temple, which also served as his home. _"Fortunately, I still have enough ingredients to create the Nectar Tonic. It will help him regain the lost magical energy, if he can take it."_

The temple wasn't very decorated, despite its' outward magnificent appearance — there were a few oriental rugs adorned with various models, and two statues representing the two most important monsters in Zeus Asgore's life — Ancient Toriel and Half-Deity Asriel, the latter being their long lost son. The goat monster gently dusted his toga and started preparing the Nectar Tonic, with secret ingredients that he never revealed to anyone, while the stranger who laid on one of his rugs was starting to wake up.

Sans's eyesockets were open, and noticed the ceiling above him that was a pure white, like the fur of Ancient Toriel. He also felt very weak, unable to move, with a dampening pain going through his skull — and let out a groan as he placed one of his hands to his head — all while blinking for a few moments to adjust to his surroundings. To his farmost left, there was a large, white-furred monster, wearing a white toga adorned with some golden pattern he couldn't discern, and a laurel crown similar to Hermesans' one — it seemed like the monster had some horns, yet distinctively larger than Ancient Toriel's — and their overall demeanor was one of peace, as if concerned with something.

"Ah, already awake, stranger?" the monster's voice bellowed. "Please wait for a moment, I'll give you something to recover your strength."

"nngh..." Sans let out a second groan of pain, "wh-where am i?"

"This is my temple," the monster said, "I am Zeus Asgore, the Supreme Deity of the Underground."

"heh," the scientist skeleton chuckled for a moment, while still holding his skull, "i'm sans, sans the scientist. i'm from —"

"You are not from our lands, I know that," Zeus Asgore smiled as he turned towards the skeleton. "Hermesans already informed me of this."

"oh." Sans said. "that guy who looks like you, but it's more like me. anyway, know how can i get home?"

"First, you must drink this," the large goat monster said. "It's my special Nectar Tonic. It recovers one's magical energy."

"thanks." Sans nodded as he chugged down the small vial given to him, and in a matter of minutes, he was already feeling better. "i could use some of that when i'm down, in my timeline."

"Unfortunately, only I know the recipe. And I cannot pass it down to a metic..." Zeus Asgore sighed as his eyes were trailing back to the statue of Half-Deity Asriel, "...but only to a descendant of mine."

"say..." Sans said as he rose from the ancient sofa, "how are you and toriel going in here?"

The deity-like goat monster looked like he was caught off-guard by the question, and placed a paw over his SOUL, his eyes seemingly watering up. "...Not exactly well. She's very distant, and I...I..."

"you're not like my timeline's tori and asgore, so...you know," the scientist skeleton grinned as he arranged his lab coat, "going home can be stalled for a while. your relationship needs to be fixed."

"Would you do this?" the goat monster looked with curiosity at Sans. "This seems a little odd for —"

"i'm not exactly an expert in relationships," Sans said as he lifted one of his hands, "but i'm willing to do this for a friend."

"A...friend? You'd go so far as to consider me —" Zeus Asgore's eyes widened at the casual demeanor of the skeleton.

" 'course i'd consider you a friend."

 **(Meanwhile, in the Altershift Universe...)**

Shamir was quite concerned over Alphys's state, as for the past few days, the small lizard did nothing else but tinker with the machine. It seemed like Sans' prolonged absence made her even more reclusive, and he often found himself talking alone — all while the jaguar was willing to give her a paw of help — until Shamir couldn't take it anymore, something that Undyne noticed as well.

"Dad? Are you —" the fish monster looked at the tired jaguar, who was yawning. "Did you spend another night working alongside Alphys? I swear, you're slowly taking Sans' place with that."

"Sorry, Undyne. I really wish to get her to open up, but it looks like she is in a complete, er, robotic mode sort of. I mean, she ignores even the simplest of questions I might address." the jaguar's blue eyes were betraying his concern.

"Maybe she thinks you wouldn't understand what she feels," Undyne huffed as she folded her arms, "though I don't get it why she'd think like that. You're like, the best father and all-time moral support for both of us, and I'm positive you'd listen very carefully to what she has to say."

The jaguar sighed, and approved her words with a slight nod. "Perhaps you can get her to open up?"

"I dunno," the fish monster averted Shamir's gaze for a moment, "we're in an on-and-off sibling bond. I don't always understand all that nerdy stuff, and she disapproves of my rash decisions."

"On the latter, I can't help but think it's something I inadvertently —" Shamir said, before being cut off by the sound of an open door.

Papyrus was standing in the doorframe, eyeing the two with a hint of sadness and anger, and then, realising the futility of his internal battle — something both warriors seemed to be aware of — he closed the door and took a seat on the couch, next to Shamir. Undyne flashed a smile at the skeleton, who was dressed in a rather casual attire, like a T-shirt that said "Cool Star!" and a pair of long, black pants.

"HI THERE, SHAMIR, UNDYNE..." the skeleton said with an absent voice. "I—"

"What's with the long face, Pap?" Undyne said as she tackled Papyrus, the latter forcing himself to smile. "You look like you need something..."

Shamir was awkwardly looking at the two, trying to contain his laughter, and then excused himself by saying he needed to drink some tea — which wasn't exactly a lie, as his throat was a little parched — but he was also aware that he had to give the two some solitude. _"Oh dear,...I do trust that Papyrus isn't that depressed as Sans. I wonder where my friend is..."_

All while a pair of eyes was scrutinizing the Dreemurr Residence with hatred, their voice glitching as they left out a cackle...

"THEIR DESPAIR IS GROWING...HOW LONG WILL IT BE UNTIL PAPYRUS CRACKS?"

 **(Ancienttale Universe)**

Ancient Toriel and Hermesans were chatting as they walked towards the temple of Zeus Asgore, and while the former was not entirely pleased with the idea of seeing the Supreme Deity, the latter was quite casual about it — Hermesans smiled gleefully as he noticed Narcissus under that rock, still groaning and protesting to be helped. All while Zeus Asgore was walking impatiently in circles, and Sans slightly laughed at the pent up tension within the large goat monster.

"c'mon, zeus asgore. ya gotta start from somewhere, and you hafta make her proud of you."

"But, stranger, I —" Zeus Asgore started to say, before being interrupted by Sans' lifted hand.

"first off, call me sans the scientist, okay? i heard you call hermesans just 'sans', so figured i could clear your head. anyway...i'm sure you'll handle it just fine."

The Supreme Deity didn't seem too convinced, until he noticed Ancient Toriel standing in the doorframe, Hermesans behind her, slightly grinning. Though his eyes were all on Toriel, as the beautiful rays of the sun dawned upon her, and he felt his heartbeat increase with each moment his gaze lingered.

 _"completely bewitched,"_ both Sanses were thinking as they picked up the subtlety of their emotions — for Toriel herself was busy studying the goat monster before her, — yet it seemed like she was going through a battle of wits.

"me and the metic are going to have a little chat," Hermesans broke the silence as he waved towards Sans, " — with your permission, your highnesses."

"Eh?" Asgore blinked for a moment, "Of course, Sans, please do make the metic feel comfortable among us, until he gets home."

"will do." Hermesans nodded before vanishing with Sans in a flick of white light.

The air suddenly felt heavier between the two goat monsters, who avoided looking at one another as if there was nothing else to be said, nothing else to be done. Or perhaps there was — and both were quite aware of it — something that made Asgore hope for a chance at reconciling with her. It has been a long time since he was again alone with her...

"W-would you like a cup of tea?" Zeus Asgore stuttered for a moment, as if his emotions were slowly, but surely, stirring within him. _"No, no, don't ruin this moment too!"_ he chided himself, placing a paw over his heart that threatened to leave his chest.

Toriel hesitated for a moment, before replying, "Of course, Asgore."

Both goat monsters stood at a table that Zeus Asgore always kept two chairs around, and after a few rustles of togas and uncomfortable shifting, they were able to look in each others' eyes, the calm blue meeting fiery red. Toriel's mind was usually at peace, but right now, caught off guard by his gaze, she felt a little confused and somewhat...blushing?

 _"For her, for her, I'd give anything..."_ Asgore was thinking, as he kept studying her, and then looked away, for he could've given in to his emotions too quickly. He then sipped from his tea, and smiled a little, trying to defuse the ever-growing tension.

"So, how are you...feeling?" his soft, baritonal voice broke through the silence, but he couldn't help a thought, _"What a blasted way to begin such a conversation..."_

"I am alright, Asgore," Toriel said as she sipped from her own tea, and gently brushed her robes, "why do you ask?"

But she knew he was an expert at avoiding the subject at paw, and smiled as a thought came up in her mind, _"Is it because you're willing to dance around the true matter that's on our minds right now?"_

He knew that she was not fooled by his naive question, and let out a long sigh before placing the cup back on the table. _"It's all or nothing now, Asgore..."_ the larger goat monster thought as he cleared his throat, and began speaking once more.

"Tori..." he said, a little hesitant, "Do you still hate me?"

 _"Wh—"_

Her eyes were wide, obviously surprised by the fact he decided to not waste any time in dealing with what was pressuring them both. She then gently placed back the cup on the table and briefly smiled, before looking at him with a mix of pity and tenderness. _"No going back this time..."_

"No, Asgore. I —"

He drew closer to her, his breathing a little funny, stopping every word that might've come from Toriel. It was almost like time itself stopped for them, and then she felt something pressing against her lips.

He was kissing her.

And that brought back to surface some ancient memories, days — and nights — when their love was so ardent that it threatened to burn everything around to a crisp, while their children were embarrassed by the public display of their affection. She still didn't know what exactly happened to Chara, and Asriel's fate was still enveloped in mystery, but above all else she knew that Asgore would always be by her side.

But one day, they didn't feel so certain of their relationship — the ever-growing uncertainty over the decisions Asgore proclaimed, in a fit of anger as he didn't know what happened to their children — and she had abandoned him for a long time, letting him carry the burden as time after time, children would come in, leave the Ruined Palestra, and then either die at the vines of Narcissus, or at the paws of Asgore himself.

Yet, she oddly recalled a day when Hermesans was crystal clear that Asgore did not wish to harm any of the children that have come through...

 **[The Golden Forest, a long time ago...]**

"ya know, your ladyship, he never did actually kill any of the children." Hermesans blurted out as he was nonchalantly eating a chicken wing. "dunno what happened with them afterwards, though. but he had no blood on his paws, and yet —"

"Yet what, Sans?" Toriel asked, as she gently sipped some tea.

"yet sometimes, he looks like he's slowly losing it, but i keep hearing him talk whenever i'm near the temple."

"All alone? Whatever would he say?" the goat monster's eyes widened in curiosity.

"he'd say that he didn't want to lose you, to fail you...and that he loves you, but he's aware that there's nothing he could do that would turn you back. he said, and i quote, Tori abandoned me within reason, though how else would I be giving monsters hope?"

 **[Back to Present]**

 _"Why is this memory coming back to me right now?"_ Toriel thought, as she gently pushed him away, leaving Asgore in a confused state.

 _"Tori_ — _?"_ he thought as he retreated back to his seat, his expression betraying the utter confusion and sadness that he felt deep within his heart. _"Perhaps it's not the right time for such affectionate moments_ — _"_

But he didn't notice that Toriel was having second thoughts about resenting him, for she was feeling a multitude of emotions, like denial, shock, and eventually love — the latter was much more obvious than she wanted to — because she came to some terms about Asgore's attempts in freeing Monsterkind from this torment.

"Gorey, —" she began to say, her voice so small, as if not willing to tread on such sensitive grounds. "I don't want to think this is some pathetic attempt at trying to get back where we were, but..."

"Tori," he replied, almost hurt, "I w-wouldn't dream of getting your forgiveness. I understand i-if you're not yet ready, o-or if you wish to move on —"

She then placed a paw over his muzzle, silencing him as she looked at him with her fiery eyes, "You silly goat, who said that I want anyone else than you?"

Somewhere else, two Sanses were discussing a matter of importance, as one was happily twirling his golden caduceus, while the other was busy making sure he could explain properly this long absence. And that he would certainly make sure that the machine would stay broken, no matter what — _let's just say i got lucky with being sent here,_ — Sans thought for a moment before the other skeleton dressed in a toga cleared his throat.

"so, uh, metic." Hermesans said, smiling. "ya think your plan worked?"

"pretty pawsitive it did work. tori looked quite distraught when i first saw her, and now, seein' asgore, it made a lot of sense." Sans the scientist said as he clicked his fingers. "anyway, do you know what happened to chara and asriel?"

"only heard rumors, honestly," Hermesans's grin faded as he played with his caduceus, "because i've never truly seen half-deity asriel. but —"

"but you've seen chara, didn't you?" Sans the scientist's eyes suddenly flared up. "did they —"

"she. chara was a girl, and yes, she did commit atrocities in this timeline."

"wh—" Sans paused, "the chara of my timeline is long gone, but as far as i know from my tori and asgore, he was gone because humans attacked. "

"you're sure that your chara wouldn't have done anything wrong?" Hermesans deadpanned.

"no, i'm not. but i'm willing to give the kid some credit."

"well, about getting you back home...you just need to let asgore cast a special spell that turns you back in the right time."

"this will be so cool."

After a good long while, the two skeletons returned to the large temple, only for them to hear joyful laughters and the sounds of protesting from Toriel, but not in a bad way. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it — _Gorey, please, you're tickling me!_ — and the two Sanses shared a hearty laughter themselves, thinking about how well this must've gone.

"ahem," Hermesans interrupted the joyful couple, "we have returned. i trust everything is cool?"

"Yes, Sans, we're _cool_ ," Toriel gently smiled as she clasped her paws. "But we have to send the metic back to their original home, don't we?"

"Of course, Tori," Zeus Asgore said as he nodded. "Sans the Scientist, is it? Come forth, please. What is the name of your home?"

"uh, it's altershift," Sans said as he scratched his head. "wait, i have to ask. how come toriel has green fire?"

"Well... this is because I do not adopt to use force anymore. My fire is mostly used for healing." Toriel said smiling. "Now, I trust that you don't have any other questions, do you?"

"heh. at least you and zeus asgore are back, this would please my friend shamir. he's very fond of you two in my universe, he's your adopted son. i hope someone brings half-deity asriel back for you as well."

The two goat monsters exchanged one look that gave way to the same thought in their mind, that one hope Asriel would be back one day to them, and then Asgore began muttering something in a strange language, his eyes narrowed in focus, while his paws were glowing with the force of the blue fire that was covering them.

The last thing Sans could hear was a "Thank you" before being teleported back in his timeline, hitting the snow with force.

 **(Altershift Universe)**

Shamir left the Dreemurr Residence, leaving Undyne and Papyrus alone to bide their time, and his mind was now focused on Alphys's depression. _"It's all up to me, whether she likes it or not. I am her father, and I cannot let her fall in the abyss she willingly creates for herself."_ the jaguar thought as he clenched one of his paws, and accidentally bumped into Ribras, who was doing some shopping for Rasha. The lion, who was his friend since they were young felines, noticed that Shamir was deeply concerned — and tired — about something, and asked him to go to Grillby's.

"Fine, Ribras," the jaguar weakly smiled. "We'll go to Grillby's. Maybe you can tell me how's Rasha?"

"Sure, Shamir." the lion nodded as he carried his groceries. "Perhaps you can also tell me how you're faring with your discoveries."

"Heh," Shamir briefly smiled, "It's a long but pleasant story."

The two feline monsters entered Grillby's place, and it didn't surprise them to see Lesser Cat and Greater Cat hanging around, as well as various monsters that enjoyed Grillby's food. Shamir couldn't help remember that this was Sans' favorite place, and it felt a little empty without his usual comedic pranks he'd pull on the customers. Ribras placed safely his groceries, while Shamir ordered the usual drink with a flick of his paw, something that Grillby nodded to.

"So..." Shamir said, "how's she? Last time I heard rumors you might be on a way to family."

"She's indeed carrying our child," Ribras laughed. "And...honestly, I thought maybe you and Catty could be the godparents."

"We? I—" the jaguar sweatdropped, "Are you sure you want to choose us?"

"Sure, you're my best friend, Shamir." the lion said as he took a sip of their usual drink — which was similar to human beer — and smiled. "After all, we've seen a lot of things together, so who to choose if not you?"

"I feel very honored that you chose us, but I also have to ask Catty later."

Out of a sudden, the bar's door opened, and the monster in the doorframe was now getting full, undisclosed attention. Ribras patted Shamir's left shoulder, making the jaguar look with both shock and joy at the monster standing there.

"Sans...?" Shamir said at first, before getting up from the table and reached out to the small skeleton who grinned weakly. The jaguar wished he could greet his old friend in a better way, but Alphys' condition during his absence was overpowering Shamir's emotions. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THROUGH WHAT YOU'VE PUT ALPHYS DURING YOUR ABSENCE?!"

"welp —" Sans's grin vanished as Shamir's red glare was now threatening to burn him to a crisp, "i didn't mean to disappear. look, i can explain —"

"You'd better explain it all to me, now." the jaguar folded his arms, leaving no room for other arguments.

"okay. let's get out of here, shall we?"

* * *

 **A/N: Oh my God. Looks like this is going to be split into two parts as well.  
All I can say is...no way!**

 **Shamir: Least the second part won't be that long, yes?**

 **Me: I hope so, yes...See you until the next part of the epilogue!**


	36. Interlude: A Special Day

**Me: Howdy, dear readers!**

 **Shamir: *curious look* Is there a reason why—**

 **Me: Yes. You still have to learn something.**

 **Shamir: Uh, but you—**

 **Me: I know. The part two of the epilogue will be published at a later date. This is a special drabble I've been planning all along. *mischievous smile***

 **Shamir: What?!**

 **Me: ...Let's just start this little drabble, shall we?**

 **Shamir: *mumbles* I swear, you're just planning stuff and you never tell me.**

 **Me: Aw, come on, Shamir! Where would be the fun if some suspense wouldn't be there?**

 **Shamir: ...Fine, you're right.**

 **Special Drabble, Start!**

 **Interlude: A Special Day**

 _"This is going to be a special day,"_ Shamir thought as he lightly descended the stairs, dressed in his blue dressing gown that covered the white pajamas adorned with small Delta Runes. A smile graced his otherwise gruff aspect, as he walked towards the kitchen, ready to start the morning **—** he would usually wake up before Toriel or Asgore did —and hummed a song to himself as he was watching over the kettle of water. However, just as he was blissfully enjoying himself, a loud noise took him by surprise, making the jaguar jolt and spread the water all over the stove. _"Oh golly, oh golly!"_

"I'm sorry, did I startle you, Shamir?" a familiar baritonal voice rang behind him.

"N-no, you didn't," Shamir said, sweatdropping as he cleaned the stove, "I was just watching over the water for some tea, but—"

"There is no shame in admitting you were afraid," Asgore said, as the jaguar turned to face him, azure eyes meeting his father's gentle blue eyes. "I know you want to show that you're brave, my son, but you have to accept your fears as well."

"I was thinking about something, Dad," Shamir said as he smiled, "I've been reading a curious book the other day, and I thought I could surprise Mom with it."

"With what, exactly?" the kingly goat monster looked with curiosity at the excited feline before him, until Shamir came closer and whispered something in his ear. Asgore then approved of his son's plan with a hearty laughter, "This is going to be nice!"

...

Meanwhile, Undyne and Alphys were also thinking to how to impress Catty — now that she was somehow their adoptive mother — because they really wanted to do something nice for her since she helped them both get past their difficulties. Still, Alphys was still shaken up by the fact Sans was gone for so long, only for him to return yesterday and act like nothing ever happened.

"So, what do you think she'll like?" the fish monster asked, looking perplexed at her UnderNet profile. "I hope she listed a few of her favorite things in here..."

 _Ring! Ring!_

"I-Is that Dad? A-at this hour in the morning...?" Alphys asked as her claws were a little shaking.

"He knows we wake up this early too, so it's fine," Undyne laughed as she picked up the phone and answered. "Morning, Daddy!"

"Morning, Undyne, how are you doing?" Shamir's voice could be heard at the other end. "Listen, I have an idea for today, and I think you could do the same for Catty. Please, do not tell anyone else than Alphys."

"Of course, Dad."

Somewhere else, a tall skeleton was pondering over memories that came back, and he was pretty displeased with the fact Sans hasn't even said a word to him — not that he did try to speak with Sans either — but Papyrus was expecting some sort of apology. It was like what family he had now was crumbling apart, due to some ridiculous travel his brother went through, and his tired gaze rested upon a very, very old photograph of their family. _"WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS...?"_ he thought for a moment as he rose to pick up the photograph. In it, there was an adult female skeleton holding a much younger Sans, while Sans was holding a small baby Papyrus, and they were all smiling — the tall skeleton was about to let some tears that were forming in his eyesockets fall on the thin glass — only to be interrupted by a voice.

"knock knock."

Papyrus sighed for a moment before indulging his brother, "WHO'S THERE?"

"sans."

"SANS WHO?"

"sans you, i would be depressed, bro. i'm...sorry that i —"

"STOP THE SELF-BLAME, BROTHER. I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO APOLOGIZE, I DID NOT WELCOME YOU BACK AS I SHOULD'VE DONE. BUT—"

"no, bro. you were right to be mad at me, even shamir was, and within good reason."

"STILL..." Papyrus said as he smiled to his brother, "WE ARE FAMILY. AND...MOM WOULD BE PROUD OF US BOTH..."

"heh, yes. yes, she would."

...

Toriel was shocked to find Shamir and Asgore were not in the house, nor in the gardens. Putting a paw to her head, she sighed and went on with her morning chores, even though she couldn't help but admit to herself that she was feeling a little lonely right now — _Wonder where they could possibly be,_ — the matronly goat monster thought as she was washing some dishes.

But behind her, Shamir stood there, watching her as he held a small box in his paws. He caught the most beautiful butterfly he could spot in the midst of the other garden — it was quite fortunate his father grew another garden somewhere else — and hoped that Toriel would love it, as well as the small poem he was ready to recite.

Just as Toriel was starting to cook something, Shamir cleared his throat, taking the goat monster by surprise — and making her drop a plate in the process, the latter shattering into pieces. The jaguar immediately placed back the box in his pockets and helped his mother with gathering the pieces.

"Shamir, it's alright, I can clean this up myself." Toriel gently smiled towards the feline.

"I want to help too!" he insisted for a while, until her red eyes were dawning upon him with seriousness, making him cower a little under her gaze. "V-very well, if you wish so."

"I do appreciate your wish to help, though," she said, while cleaning up the mess. "Do you need anything?"

"Could you just, sit down for a moment, Mom?" Shamir said, beaming towards her. "I have something to show you..."

He immediately reached for the small box and gave it to her, and Toriel gasped with surprise as she saw a beautiful butterfly for her collection of bugs, but what truly made her heart flutter was hearing the also beautiful poem Shamir composed just for her.

 _My mother, she's one of a kind,_  
 _She's protecting me like the gentle wind,_  
 _She's the sun that rises in the morning_  
 _When the night is barely ending_

 _She's unique, she believes in me,_  
 _She's my mother, and I love her so,_  
 _And there's none I cherish more._

"My, that was beautiful, my dear child!" the matronly goat monster exclaimed as she hugged the jaguar, whose azure eyes were glinting with joy. "Tell me though, where is your father?"

"Ah, Dad is in the other garden— which is somewhere near Waterfall. He's waiting for you in there. " Shamir said. _"I thought my poem was horrible, but_ — _"_ he was thinking before someone rapped on the door of the Dreemurr Residence quite loudly.

"Must be Undyne," the jaguar said as he opened the main door and closed it right behind him, the fish monster was standing before him with a confused look, and then he spoke to her. "What is it, Undyne?"

"Alphy and I have some trouble with finding a nice gift for Catty, and we thought you could help." Undyne said as she scratched her head in confusion. "I couldn't find anything more than _you_ on her list of favorite things on the UnderNet."

"Ah, perhaps you could go to Dahlia's shop. She's a great seamstress, and has beautiful clothes. Catty adores wearing something that would put out her natural beauty..." Shamir found himself saying, only to put a paw to his face a few seconds later, _"And there goes a dirty thought in my mind with that..."_

"Dad? Where is this shop?" the fish monster asked, looking at the jaguar, who was still covering his face. "Dad...?"

"Sorry, Undyne," the feline monster replied, "I'll accompany you there. Where's Alphys?"

"She's with Sans, saying she has a lot to discuss with him," Undyne sweatdropped, "but I think she'll be quite arguing with him."

 **(Later...)**

They arrived at Dahlia's shop, only to discover the female deer monster was almost ready to leave and close for the day, but Shamir stopped her with his powerful Roar of Light, deafening her for a moment as she turned towards the two monsters with confused eyes, visibly startled by the sudden sound.

"Ah, Shamir," the deer monster slightly smiled with embarassment, "there was really no need for using that on me. I trust you are looking for something, if you came down here with one of your daughters."

"Yes, but it's not for her that _we_ are searching." the jaguar replied, holding a paw on Undyne's shoulder.

"I understand," Dahlia nodded. "I suppose I can hold the shop open a little more."

"Thank you, Dahlia," Shamir smiled. "Come, Undyne, we have to find something suitable..."

The small shop was indeed tidy, yet there seemed to be nothing that caught the two monsters' attention, until Undyne saw a beautiful red blouse adorned with a star on the front and a blue skirt that also had small white stars on it, pointing in their direction so that Shamir could see them too. "Look, Daddy, those are beautiful!"

"Yes, you're right. They would go nice on her." the jaguar nodded as a smile formed on his face. "We'll take the red blouse with a star and the blue skirt with white stars on it."

"Excellent, those cost 100 G, it's 50 G each." Dahlia nodded. "I trust that the one you're buying them for will appreciate the gift."

 _"I hope so too,"_ was the thought that crossed both Shamir and Undyne's minds as the former paid for the two items and exited the shop, wishing Dahlia a nice evening. After a somewhat long walk in silence, Undyne decided to break the silence by putting a question that was on her mind...

"Dad?"

"Yes, Undyne?" Shamir looked towards Undyne with a small smile. "What is it?"

"Uh...have you ever felt like you're still not doing things right?" the fish monster sighed as she held the gift bag with care. "I mean, I do get along with —"

"But sometimes, you have this sensation as if it's hard to grasp that you're a part of this family, isn't it?" the jaguar replied as he laughed softly. "Oh, you have no idea how hard it was for me all along, as I had a duty as Captain, and hardly ever stood with my parents as family."

"But you eventually understood that you are a Dreemurr, no matter what happens. You'd always be —" Undyne scratched her head, slightly confused.

"And it would be always the same for you two, you'd always be a part of our family." Shamir said, as he looked into the distance, "I was a fool, nothing but a fool, to think that Mom would think differently of me because I was feeling like a pariah or because I used to do only stupid things..."

"She kept telling me I am a Dreemurr, no matter what. And that she believes in me to find a way to redeem myself —" the jaguar kept saying. "— And here I am, looking for my two daughters, for my soon-to-be-wife Catty, for my parents who taught me everything I know about the ways of the world..."

"Dad," the fish monster laughed, "You're practically the best son they could ask for, you know. And I know you want to do more to see them safe and happy, especially Lady Toriel. Y-you do seem to care more about her than anyone."

"Well, I guess I formed a rather strong bond with Mom, didn't I?" Shamir sheepishly smiled. "I care about my Dad as much, though. He is one of the most powerful monsters in this Underground, and has us to lead through. Trust me, foes who underestimate him are _fools._ "

"Heh, I take your word for that." Undyne gleefully laughed. "Well, I'll go to see Mom, she must be home with Alphys by now. See you in the morning?"

"Of course, Undyne." the jaguar nodded as he and Undyne parted ways, the former going towards the Dreemurr residence.

 _"All in all, this has been a good day..."_


	37. Epilogue: Part Two

**Me: Well, I hope you'll like the final of this.**

 **Shamir: You've been announcing the final of these drabbles for quiiite a while. *grabs Shock by collar* IS IT DONE YET?!**

 **Me: *slightly cowers* With this, yes, i-it i-is done!**

 **Shamir: *releases Shock and smiles* Well, good to know it is.**

 **Me: *looks in fear towards Shamir* Before I start, I have to say I've inspired myself for a small part of this epilogue from one of the pages of Endertale (credits go to TC-96). Now. Let us start this drabble!**

 **Both: Epilogue, part two...START!**

* * *

 **Bright Future Ahead...Or Is It?  
a.k.a.  
Epilogue: Part Two**

 _"Can you believe this?"_

"No, I've never been in this situation before."

It was just one of the radio talks that went back and forth between members of the NDCP, and Sam was paying attention just in case anyone of the orphanage — like that old lady running it — would call about the running away of Frisk, as he looked over them standing fast asleep in the backseat of the car, smiling. The black-bearded man sighed as he realised that he had to find a better family for this young one, no matter how long it would be or how much he had to search, until a call went through his radio:

"Unit 26-11 calling Sam Diller, requesting assistance."

"I'm out of town, buddy," Sam replied. "Have to pull over, I'm quite tired. I'll be radio silent during the night."

"But, sir, we need —"

"I said that I will be radio silent. Look, you're quite the veteran, you'll handle making people give their kid to the NDCP, 'cause we look after them as if they were our own." Sam almost let out a growl as his frustration grew.

"But it's about a kidnapping case, sir. We need to call the police."

"What?!" Sam's eyes lit up with fury.

"Well, uh —" the man at the other end hesitated, "— some old lady was asking about a kid, and said they were kidnapped a few days ago, in the night."

"Any description of the kid?" the blackbearded man pressed on, eager to know what happened.

 _"The kid's description is a match for the one you just saved."_

 _"Shit."_

 **(Meanwhile, in the Underground...)**

Sans and Shamir were standing at the bar, while Grillby was busy cleaning another glass. It seemed like the jaguar had no intention to cut Sans any slack, as he was eyeing the skeleton with red eyes — the feline monster had a better control of his rage — but there was no telling what would happen should the skeleton before him decide to just warp out with no other explanation. On the other hand, Sans was sweating bullets as he stared at the bottle of ketchup before him, sensing his friend's rage and aware he could snap at any moment, and the pent-up tension between them was reaching Grillby too, who inadvertently dropped the glass he was cleaning. The fire elemental had no choice but to casually push his glasses and start speaking, startling his two customers.

"I understand you two have a lot to discuss. Emphasis on _a lot_ , and your tension is starting to get to me." Grillby said, slightly cracking his hands.

"i'm not tensed, not at all," Sans lied through his teeth as he wore his casual grin, "i'm just _bonechilling_."

"Sans." Shamir said, his expression still gruff, "You _knew_ that I'm not going to let you off the hook, and that's why you asked me to come here."

"i know," the skeleton sighed as he took a chug from the ketchup bottle in front of him, "but _are you_ going to let me tell the story — " Sans paused, "— _or will you judge me as i judge the others?_ "

"Sans, I'm not," the jaguar blinked for a moment, realizing that he had all the reasons to be furious, but it would be futile if he didn't understand what happened. Shamir then reached for the cup of tea Grillby gave him, "but you _do_ need to understand that Alphys has taken your absence a little harder than everyone. You know that I care about their safety, even though they are old enough to look after themselves quite well..."

"i kinda understand what you mean, and i'm sorry you're mad at me. you do have all the reasons to be _fiery_ and all that." Sans said, casually smiling. "i used to be like that with paps, when he was growing up."

"Now that we've moved _pasta_ point, how about you tell me your curious adventure?" the jaguar smiled back, as he sipped some more tea.

 _"ok, but you're going to need a lot of tea..."_

While Sans and Shamir were busy discussing the skeleton scientist's adventure, somewhere else, a small lizard was busy searching away some books on quantum physics as she stood on a somewhat tall ladder, though Alphys was too engrossed in the search to notice that the ladder was a little wobbly with each movement she did. _"No, that's not the book...Where the hell have I_ —AAAGH! _"_ The ladder collapsed, while Alphys got the bad luck of hitting her study's desk in the process, rendering her unconscious, and a pile of books was scattered all around the floor, a few landing on their cover, opened at some random pages.

Somewhere in Waterfall, at the Royal Guard's HQ, Undyne was busy training with Rasha against her powerful magmakinesis, while Ribras and Parvos were watching, though the latter didn't seem quite interested in the fighting itself — his mind was wandering to his father, and to a plan that he conceived about taking the Guard, and it involved either Shamir's kidnapping or his murder — while Ribras was proud to see the young fish monster holding against his wife, even though he secretly wished to see Rasha the victor, despite the fact she was carrying a baby.

"Look, Rasha," Undyne suddenly said, "I don't really want to overdo this training. It's obvious that you are not well enough to train any more."

"It is alright, young Captain." the lioness curtly smiled as she held the magma-coated axe, "I can still—" Rasha was about to say, but she found herself a little nauseous as she dropped the axe, making Ribras jolt as he ran to catch his wife in his large, creamy paws.

"Enough, Rasha," Ribras then said, "even though I understand that you don't want to be a liability, it is better if you'd stop training altogether. The little one's only a few weeks in. And we both want a child, right?"

"Uh, I'm still not fully grasping what's going on, but I have to agree with Ribras." Undyne said as she summoned back her spears. "My Dad has told me about your condition, vaguely."

"Hmph, what kind of a leader are you, right?" Parvos scoffed as he cleaned his right cheek, "I trust it's okay if I wander away from this training, _Captain_."

"sure, kitty-cat. follow your shadow, you might catch it." Sans said from behind, startling Parvos and the others. "sorry to barge in like that, 'dine, ribras, rasha, parvos. has any of you seen or heard from alphys today?"

The white leopard shook his head, before disappearing in the shadows, while the others were still looking at the skeleton in curiosity. Undyne was a little troubled by Sans' question, as she let out a sigh and sat next to the scientist, who was now chugging some ketchup, while Ribras and Rasha asked for permission to leave — the fish monster simply nodded — and watched the pair of lions going away. It was obvious, by the look on Sans's face, that he was concerned, even though his talk with Shamir was light-hearted. Not to mention he was supposed to return to work — to get the time-travelling machine disabled forever — something Undyne was able to notice quite well.

"i think you could give her a call..." Sans shifted in his place, "i _bear_ ly had any time."

"I get it, when you're concerned, you start to defuse yourself by making puns. Can you stop them for a moment, so I can call Alphys?" Undyne said, shooting Sans a deathly stare as she started dialing Alphys's number, and let the phone ring.

"H-hi, this is D-Dr. Alphys! I-If y-you need to c-contact me, j-just leave a v-voice mail a-after the beep!"

"Alphy, if you hear this, please, —" the fish monster hesitated for a moment, "— please, answer me. Sans is worried about you, and so am I. Please, just pick up that phone and let me know you're okay." She then ended the call, and looked at Sans with worry. "She is usually faster than letting someone finish a voice message," the teen Captain of the Royal Guard said. "I hate to bother Dad, but I can't shake this feeling that something bad happened to her."

Undyne then dialed Shamir's number, and luckily for her, the feline monster's voice could be heard at the other end. He was quite relaxed and jovial, given the fact that he was currently discussing Underground life with his father, and she could hear him eating — most likely, it must've been Butterscotch Pie — so she smiled and waited for him to finish before explaining everything.

"What happened, Undyne?" Shamir replied, hearing her soft breathing at the other end.

"Daddy, something happened to Alphys. Sans said he didn't see her at all today, and when I called her, she didn't answer. You know that she answers before you can leave a message." the fish monster said, her voice wavering at times.

"Go home with Sans, see what happened," the jaguar said, determined to understand the facts, "I will join you shortly. And Undyne —"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Tell Sans _I'm forbidding him_ to use shortcuts. He must be exhausted from everything that happened today." Shamir said, clenching his teeth a little, and Undyne replied that she will do exactly what he said. The fish monster ended the call, and shot yet another stare at the skeleton next to her.

"what?" Sans asked, a little confused by Undyne's dangerous glare.

"We'll walk 'til home."

"why? i'm fine, i can—"

"My father said he _forbids_ you to use shortcuts, and I suppose you don't want to piss him off, right?" the fish monster said as she rose from the bench.

"ok, we'll walk," Sans agreed, though it was obvious that he didn't like it. "say, what really happened with alph when i warped out in another universe? 'cause your dad was a little reluctant to tell me, yet he sounded like it gave you a bad time."

"Dad's been quite affected after what happened to Alphys," Undyne sighed as she looked up towards the ceiling of Waterfall, "ever since that incident, he's been trying to talk to her, and somehow she's allowing him to counsel her. I kinda figured her 'robotic' way of acting was one way to defend her sanity."

"go on," the skeleton said, as his face darkened visibly, a lot of thoughts running through his mind, each darker than the next.

"Anyway," the fish monster dug her hands in the pockets of her usual black pants, "she tried to poison herself with golden flowers. I guess you can imagine the horror on my Dad's parents faces when they found her like that —"

"what?" Sans's pinpricks were gone the moment he heard that, "she tried to —"

"It's not exactly the first time she tries," the teenage fish monster shook her head. "and I won't really go into detail about it."

The skeleton scientist was content to remain silent during the rest of their walk, as he let the realization of everything that happened sink in, and wondered why he got off so easily —

judging by Shamir's pent-up rage, he could've been done for — because he could imagine the low, menacing voice of his jaguar friend telling him how much of a failure he's been, and then the immediate pouncing with his bare paws. It was a sight that he wanted to avoid, with success, so far, and then he asked Undyne to carry on with the story.

"I can't read monsters as well as you do," Undyne said, "but I have an idea about what you're thinking. You're thinking just how lucky you are that my father didn't act on his sheer rage, that he decided, for the sake of Alphys and I, to take things calmly. If he wasn't able, at first, to back up his threats by using force, well I can assure you now that _he can back everything up, and he won't be walking away if someone dares to threaten the safety of his family — his whole family, that is —_ _or the values he upholds diligently._ "

"i guessed as much," Sans forced a smile as his eyesockets were still looking at the wet ground of Waterfall, and dug his hands deeper in the pockets of his blue lab coat, "that is why i hope alph is okay, because otherwise — " he paused for a moment to compose himself, "— **i'd be seriously dunked on.** "

Just as Sans said that, the two monsters realized they were closer to Undyne and Alphys's —

and Catty's, sometimes — house, and the fish monster knocked on the door quite loudly, hoping that someone was at home, but to their misfortune, nobody came to answer the door.

As her natural Determination fueled her, Undyne knocked on the door again, waiting for an answer as patiently as she could, many thoughts crossing her mind, as well as Sans's.

"maybe she's not here," Sans shrugged. "you know she hangs out with catty sometimes, right?"

"Yes, she does, but not today. I can't remember exactly why, but I'm pretty sure it's not today." Undyne rubbed her forehead in frustration. "No, you know what? **I'll break down this fucking door.** "

"whoa there, won't shamir get pissed? he fixed the door like, last week, after you thrashed it and found him and catty kissing under a tree, if you get me."

" **NOT NOW, SANS!** " the teen fish scowled, as she summoned ten sharp spears with one single thought, _"I'm sorry Daddy, but I have to see what happened to Alphys!"_

 _CRACK!_

The door looked like someone just launched an armed attack upon their house, and Sans was guffawing a little as they entered, as the entire scene was hilarious to the small skeleton, while Undyne's eyes were still twitching in aggravation. The air felt incredibly heavy with each breath that was taken, and even though the fish monster knew that Alphys used to work in basements where airflow was not enough, she couldn't help feeling that this exact situation was slowly hurting her sister.

"woah, what happened here?" Sans said as he took a look around, "it's like the first war of humans vs. monsters just went through."

"Don't joke about that, Sans," the teen monster shook her head, "Dad's been telling me many things that he saw in King Asgore's books."

"asgore, books about war? now you've _goat_ to be kidding me."

"Say one more pun and I'll supplex your bones out," Undyne hissed as she shot Sans a deathly stare.

"ok, now can we focus on finding alph?"

The two started searching inside, from top to bottom — kitchen, living room, and lab — until Undyne realized that Alphys must've been in the study, like she used to do in some days that she called "Study Days". It seemed like she always marked them with a star, the same thing her favorite character did — it was MewMew, of course — and Undyne waved to Sans that he follows her to the study, while the latter was still puzzled about the fish teen's actions.

"k. so what are we doing in here?"

"She has to be in, 'cause this is her usual Study Day. It's marked with a star, so this must be it, and I'm going to see what the heck — "

Undyne didn't finish her sentence, because what was before her eyes unnerved her greatly, as the whole study was a mess, books were scattered everywhere, the floor was littered with pages that must've torn themselves out in the fall, a broken ladder. A tail could be seen from behind the desk, and for a second, her magical blood froze with fear, something that the fish warrior didn't want to admit.

And it seemed that Sans was also on board with this.

"holy spaghetti," the skeleton could say, voicing out Undyne's thoughts, at least partially. "we have to take her to the dreemurrs as soon as possible."

"Yeah, we have to. I'll let Dad know we're on the way, and you should focus on that shortcut, okay? I'm counting on you, Sans." Undyne said, "So is Alphys."

 **(Later…)**

Shamir was just returning from some errands, when he noticed Sans, Undyne and an unconscious Alphys standing at the door of the Dreemurrs' home, and lightly greeted them as he opened the door. Despite the rather jovial nature he wanted to bring forth, it was obvious that the jaguar was worried sick about his daughter, but the entire situation was about to turn _absolutely_ comical, as the three monsters — except for the yellow lizard who was carried by Undyne — heard something they really didn't expect to hear in such a moment. **  
**

 _"_ _Keep going, Fluffybuns! Don't you dare stop right now!_ _"_

 _"_ _Ehehe~ As you wish, my Scrumptious Pie."_

Shamir's eyes and ears twitched in aggravation, as he was used to the Dreemurrs' matinal shenanigans when he caught them on, but he didn't expect to hear them during one of their most intimate moments. It was one of the reasons he brought a paw to cover his — already — crimson face, while Undyne looked at her father with widened eyes, and Sans decided that he should guffaw, because it was too hilarious to miss it.

"so, uh, are they always so…. _barky_?"

"Dog-gonnit Sans!" Shamir hissed, "You're talking about my parents!"

"Totally didn't expect _that_." Undyne's eyes were still widened as she tried to understand the whole situation. "I'll just put Alphy on the couch, so Sans and I will watch over her. And you can bring Lady Toriel down here, Daddy."

"Yeah, I'll do that," the feline monster nodded, while a thought crossed his mind, _"this is going to be very embarrassing for me."_

The white robed feline climbed up the stairs with care, while still hearing various sounds from his parents' bedroom, and awkwardly knocked as his face was still a little crimson red. The sounds suddenly stopped, and just when hilarity wasn't enough, Toriel could be heard screaming " **What the f** — **?!** "

 _"By golly, Mom, that's one dirty mouth you have in there."_ Shamir couldn't help thinking as he held back his laughter, until the matronly goat herself opened the door, to reveal a beautiful negligee she was dressed in, and he could've sworn that she looked quite the rapacious beauty, tearing away that matronly aura she usually carried around.

"H-Howdy, Mom." the jaguar said, still embarrassed.

"Oh, it was just you, my child," she said, surprised to see Shamir this early at home, softening her gaze almost instantly.

"Yeah, but I'm not alone. I need help with something, but, uh, before we go…" the feline monster leaned in to whisper what he just heard, and his mother's reaction was the one he expected out of her.

"Oh my goodness!" Toriel blushed in shame, covering her muzzle with her paws. "Please, do not tell anyone about this."

Shamir laughed heartily, "No one will hear about this, and if either Undyne or Sans heard it, I'll ask them to remain silent about that."

"Why are you three in here?" the goat monster asked, noticing her son's worry.

"It's Alphys, she's unconscious for a while, and hurt."

"I see…Follow me, my child." his mother said, as she took her purple dressing gown over the negligee. "While this is most unfortunate, it is also a good chance for you to practice healing magic."

"Anything to help, Mom," Shamir said as he walked behind her.

In the living room, Undyne was watching over Alphys, while Sans was busy sleeping in one of the armchairs, and when Toriel entered the room, alongside Shamir, the teen Captain couldn't help herself and bowed before the two. The matronly goat simply shook her head and asked Undyne what exactly happened — but since neither knew what really happened — Toriel had to go healing everything she could see, while also teaching her son how to use his healing powers.

"Ready, Shamir?" his mother's voice rang as she was ready to start the healing process. "I'll heal the damage on her head, and you seek out the minor injuries. We can't have you start on a difficult level, right?"

"Right," the jaguar nodded.

"Now, summon the fire in your heart, and try to eliminate all of its' destructive capabilities."

The jaguar's eyes closed for a moment as he focused on calling out "the fire of the Dreemurrs", as he dubbed it, and then, fire engulfed his paws, without really burning him. Noticing his mother's fire was green, he knew that he had to aim for this color as well, and focused even more so he could turn the fire to its' healing properties.

"Good, very good, my child!" Toriel said, proud to see Shamir able to control the fire as well as they did.

"Are you sure this is right?" Shamir asked, a little wavering. He wasn't usually this tense when learning something new, but the fact that Alphys' life was in danger increased the pressure — the pressure would've been higher if it was either of the Dreemurrs, he knew that — and waited for Toriel's reply, his muscles a little stiff.

"The touch of it has to be gentle," the matronly monster said, "let me feel your paws."

She picked Shamir's paws in her own, and felt the green fire was still a little destructive, for Toriel quickly extinguished the small sparkles that ignited in her white paws. "You need to think about the caring nature of yourself as a father, that should help you figure how gentle the healing fire must be."

 _"Isn't she the best mother you could wish for, Shamir?"_ the feline monster thought for a moment as he understood what she meant, and doubled his efforts in order to make his fire a true healing power, like his mother's was. Closing his azure eyes, thinking how much he wanted to do anything just to see Alphys alright, he healed every small cut and bruise he could notice on the small lizard's skin, while Toriel was busy handling every other major injury the lizard might've had. She was proud of Shamir's work, for he managed to tune his healing fire just right and it seemed that Toriel's words were enough motivation for him to focus and try again. _"Now he's onto a better path, and yet, there's lingering doubt within his soul, as he is very much afraid of falling again on the wrong path,"_ the matronly goat thought as she looked at the jaguar, who was now sitting on the adjacent armchair with his arms folded.

It was a dampening silence, as none dared to say anything — with the exception of Sans, who was still soundly asleep on the couch, but Undyne wanted to know just what was her father thinking, while Toriel was off to the kitchen to prepare some tea.

"Do you think she'll be fine?" the fish monster said, as she looked at the lizard laid on the couch.

"I don't know. All we can do is _hope_." Shamir said with a guttural voice.

" 'mmph what are you doing alph", mumbled Sans in a sleepy voice, surprising the two monsters that were looking over the still unconscious lizard, and Shamir couldn't help his laughter.

"He's always doing that when he's asleep," the jaguar said, "Papyrus told me that he heard _things._ "

"No way," Undyne facepalmed, "now he must've shattered Papyrus's thoughts on romance."

"…nngh…" Alphys muttered as she slowly blinked, "wh…e…re am…I?"

Both Shamir and Undyne were beaming with happiness as they stood above the small lizard, and explained to her how she ended up in the Dreemurr's home, all while Toriel brought tea for everyone. It seemed like the whole ordeal was now slowly going to be forgotten, and yet Alphys didn't want this accident to happen again, because she told them exactly what happened before she was knocked out unconscious.

"S-So that's why I d-don't want to scare you anymore. I p-promise I'll organize the study better! A-And I'll get a b-better ladder!"

"NGAAH! No more ladders for you, sis. We'll reorganize the study, together!" Undyne said, as she held out one of her fists in the air.

"i hafta ask, tori," Sans said as he woke up, "was the fluffybuns train comfortable enough?"

" **Sans.** " Shamir said as he shot the skeleton a deathly stare, " **Enough, you're crossing a line in here.** "

"relax, buddy. would it really be that harmful for you to laugh at this?"

" **Tsk.** " the jaguar shook his head and kept drinking his tea, his eyes a mix of red and blue, as if battling with his wits.

"No need to be aggressive, my child," Toriel lifted one of her paws, smiling gently. "It's simply his way of reaching sensitive subjects. I understand why you're bothered by his, sometimes, sick sense of humor. But he's harmless with it."

"Mom, I'm sorry. I know I'm all grown and all that, but I find it _disturbing_ for some reason." the feline replied. "That subtlety is easy to catch on, and he knows it."

"Bahahaha," Asgore's laughter rang from the hall, hearing Shamir's words. "Shamir is quite the gentleman, isn't he, Tori? He treats romance with respect, it seems."

"and yet he got _frisky_ with catty. well, aren't you a little hypocritical?"

" **Damnit Sans!** " Shamir said, as he spat his tea, his muzzle covered in the liquid.

 **(Two days later…)**

 _"This day will be special, special, special!"_ Bratty thought as she and Catty were walking towards Dahlia's shop, which seemed to be quite visited today — something that the female deer was not very accustomed to, because she never had that many clients — and she noticed that it was quite profitable as well. While the female alligator was busy with her thoughts, Catty was still in shock as she never expected him to be that determined, and yet…

 _"He was so cute holding that small box, smiling with glee, his eyes betraying that small fear…"_

Dahlia was surprised to see the two females, but upon noticing the small ring on Catty's finger (?), she figured that something must've been up, and tried her best to serve them with the most beautiful dresses in the Underground — she also catered for the gentlemonsters, giving them the best suits in town — while also chattering a bit with them.

"So, who's the lucky monster?" the female deer asked, while taking measurements of Catty's sizes.

Trying to play it cool, Catty just replied that it was someone every monster knew, and that he was kind. "Yeeah, he's really nice to me, and he does everything to make sure I'm okay."

"Oh, I see." Dahlia replied, as she felt a little sad for Shamir. In fact, she was secretly admiring the Prince of Monsters, mainly because he was able to bring himself back on the track with some help, that was true, but he came out as a strong character.

"Yeah, Catty's like, right!" Bratty cued in as she looked at her friend, "He's quite the impressive character, and likes to do what is right."

The purple feline couldn't help thinking at the night she talked with Shamir for the first time. There was so much separating them as individuals, their lives, their ways of being, and yet he wasn't going to give up on her just because other monsters were always seeing her as a "stray cat", to put it mildly.

 _"We're alone, no need to throw my title around…"  
_

 _"You're still royalty, Shamir, and I'm not. It's simple as that."  
_

 _"You think this would stop me from looking after you?"_

 _"Don't say this just to pity me."_

 _"I'm not saying this out of pity, Catty. I want to know what made the strong-willed woman before me turn bitter."_

 _"Strong-willed…? I kinda lost that…"_

"Your dance with me seemed to prove otherwise."

"Miss Catty?" Dahlia asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Catty replied, her voice wavering, a little shaken up by the bittersweet memory.

"Your dress will be done in the afternoon," the female deer said, noticing that her client was getting quite uncomfortable. " _Prey_ tell, is it the white leopard, somehow? He has that kind of strong character," Dahlia tried to find out who it was.

"I guess you'll see in the afternoon," Catty said, as if she picked up the saleswoman's intentions or chose to just let it slide.

Bratty and Catty left the shop with a few thoughts in their mind – the first was hyped for all the fun at today's most expected event, while the latter was wondering why Dahlia asked if it was Parvos the one she was going to be with. _"Maybe it's just me, or she tried to pull my tongue because I was so secretive? I bet she knows who the feline I chose to be with is."_

Later on, Alphys, along with Undyne, came for the same kind of shopping, which made the female deer question what was truly going on with them — she had a hunch, but she couldn't really tell — though monsters all over the Underground were excited about this day, saying the king and queen had a surprise for all of them.

 _"Hopefully, one day, some miracle will happen."_

"The Judgement Hall", as it was called, became for today a different kind of hall. Justice was cast aside to make place for the reunion of love, in which light could shine with no holding back and the birds would chirp beautifully for a new future that seemed to bring the monsters' hope back.

King Asgore was standing at the end of the hall, and scores of monsters were sitting on the benches brought for this marvelous event that was about to unfold before them. Gerson could say it reminded him of the humans' churches, something he was vaguely familiar with, and felt at peace, even though it's been a very, very long time since he last felt like this. A part of him ached for the loss of Gertrude, he wished that she was here…and yet, his old eye turned towards the main event, noticing how tensed the two monsters next to Asgore were.

Shamir and Sans were quite excited to see their brides, which would be announced by the sound of royal trumpets, and Asgore did his best to comfort his son and his friend at such a great moment of life, while Toriel was proudly watching from the sidelines, smiling as a familiar memory came to her — when her relationship with Asgore was in some ways, made official. Eventually, after some fumbling, the trumpets announced the two beautiful brides, which were Catty and Alphys, the latter still troubled and a little panicky about the whole thing.

"No worries, we're like, taking the guys we want!" Catty laughed, trying to defuse the tension building within Alphys. "C'mon, you're going to dance with him all night, I know that, mhmm~"

"C-Catty, oh my G-God, you're sometimes—!" Alphys slightly blushed. "Y-yes, thanks for the encouragement, t-though!"

"We've gathered here today, to celebrate the union of two beautiful pairs. On one side, Shamir and Catty, and on another, Sans and Alphys," Asgore began to say, trying to remember what his father used to say when they were…officially recognized as a pair, as he looked towards Toriel with a funny gaze. "They have decided to make their love known to all of us, in the most solemn way, and I'm proud to witness such blooming love."

He then turned towards Shamir and Catty.

"Shamir Dreemurr, will you take Catty as your wife? Protect her, and see to her welfare, no matter what may come?"

"I do," Shamir replied, holding the purple feline's paws within his.

"Catty Pawsers, will you take Shamir as your husband? Stay along with him, support him in his times of need, no matter what may come? "

"Like, I do!" Catty said, with her usual playful smile.

In the background, Ribras and Rasha were looking at the two felines with glee, and both thought Shamir was finally doing things right, even though he confessed to Ribras that he was still afraid of falling back on a dangerous path. Yet, the lion promised solemnly that he will stick alongside him, as his best friend, something that the jaguar wasn't going to forget too soon. After questioning Sans and Alphys, Asgore declared that the two male monsters could kiss their brides, moment in which monsterkind was shouting with joy, wishing them prosperity, health, and everything else that they could ask for.

 **(That night…)**

The two feline Dreemurrs were sharing Shamir's bed that night, and while it felt surreal, the jaguar never thought that a day of blissful serenity would be interrupted by a nightmare so dastardly. He thought that all of his fears were somehow defeated, and conquered, but this one seemed to prove that wasn't the case.

It was pitch black for a few moments, before he could see Asriel hunted by some humans, as he ran for his life. _"Asriel!"_ the jaguar thought as he ran towards the small monster child, hoping to get there before the humans did. He noticed that he didn't have any swords, and his magic was weak as if he couldn't fully use it, but the feline didn't care at all about his safety. His brother's life _had_ to be saved, and if he could help, he'd stay in the path of the humans, gritting his teeth and tearing for blood. Reaching the goat monster, he tried to put a paw on his shoulder, only for it to slip through Asriel, and Shamir's eyes widened in shock.

"No…Asriel, can you hear me?" the jaguar tried to speak, but the goat monster didn't seem to know he was there.

 _"What's happening? Why can't I_ — _"_ Shamir thought as he was forced to assist to everything, as the humans eventually reached Asriel and surrounded him.

"You filthy animal!" one of the humans said, "You've killed an innocent child! We're not going to let you out of here alive!"

" **WhO sAiD I'll lEt yOu LiVE?** " a glitched voice came out from Asriel. " **YoU diD nOtHiNg tO sAvE mE! YoU dIDn't cArE aT aLL! LeT's kiLL tHeM aLL, AsRieL!** "

" **Chara, no! I don't want to hurt them!** "

 _"What the_ — _"_ the jaguar's eyes widened, _"I don't understand?!"_

" **ThEy wErE hUnTiNg mE LiKe I wAs sOmE sOrT oF bEaSt! ThAt's wHy I rAn fRoM tHeM all! ThEy wAnT tO sEE yOuR rAcE dEsTrOyEd, tHeY kEpT yOu aLiVe sO tHeY cAn sEnD a pOwErFuL hUmAn tO eRaDiCaTe yOu! I cAmE dOwN hAtInG tHe hUmAnS, aNd I wAs wiLLinG tO eNd yOuR LiVeS mYseLf!** "

" **Ch-Chara?! W-why?!** "

The glitched voice resumed the normal voice Chara had, " **Because I love you too much to see you perish at the hands of another.** "

"Too late, you filthy weird creature, you'll die!" another human said, as he threw a pitchfork through Asriel, the latter yelling in pain. "Now, everyone! Strike with everything you have!"

 _"ASRIEL, NO!"_

" **NOOOOOOOOOOO!** " Shamir yelled in the dead of night, waking Catty up, as well as Toriel, both females hearing the jaguar mumbling something like "Azzy, no, no, no! Ch-Chara, w-what have y-you _done!_ "

"M-my child…?" Toriel's eyes widened as she put her paws to her muzzle, "W-What have you seen?"

"Asriel. Killed. Humans merciless. Chara." the jaguar's speech seemed to have been reduced to a few words, as if trying to get over the shock.

"Like, you saw the death of Prince Asriel?" Catty asked, as shocked as Toriel.

"Yes." Shamir nodded. "Though, I c-can't understand wh-why I heard Chara too. Maybe it's connected to…to those glyphs i-in Waterfall, those about the war?"

"A beast with unfathomable power…" the matronly goat murmured to herself."I'll bring you some tea to ease your nerves. Perhaps it will help you sleep better."

"Sorry, Catty, sorry, Mom," the jaguar apologized. "Maybe I should sleep on the couch, so I'm closer to the kitchen for more tea."

"No, Shamir. Like, I love cuddling with you, you're so soft! ~" the purple feline teased him, her eyes almost reading through his SOUL.

Shamir sighed before replying, "Ok, I'll stay."

 **(Three days later…)**

"I still can't get that dream out of my mind," Shamir said as he was sitting at the kitchen table, next to Asgore and Toriel, while Catty was out for her work at the Papyrus Resort. "It's been far too real…And I can't help but wonder what the next will show me, because there has to be a reason why I saw it."

"It's not good to dwell on them for too long, Shamir," Asgore said, "for they will draw you back on the wrong path. Or they could illuminate you. They are like swords, they can cut both ways."

"You're right about that, Dad." the jaguar smiled gently.

 **(Music:Undertale – Gaster's Theme Calm Remix [Extended])**

From the Void, someone was watching the events unfold, as he was ready to do everything he could to warn the feline Dreemurr of the potential danger ahead, of the times that have passed in order for him to fully understand the threat that lingered like a sword above their heads. Although Chara, and Asriel, were slightly displeased with the choice of memory that the Doctor imparted with their older brother — the former because it made him look like a traitor, like a wanna-be murderer, like he was going to commit a full Genocide route, while the latter was concerned about the fact Chara was indeed giving in to their darker side that day, no matter what pain they might have been through.

"Hey, Gaster, you still think it was a good idea, you know, to give him that kind of a hint?" Chara scoffed as he was standing with his arms folded. "We're the only ones who know what the real danger is, and chances are he won't understand until it's too late. Ink might think you can hold out against Error, but that prick is something and Shamir, no matter how strong he might be on the inside, is still oblivious to the large picture."

"I trust there will be monsters that'll show him that he has to piece the details together." The tall, dark robed scientist said. "He is smart, and while he can be reckless under wrong guidance, he still has the best interests of the Dreemurr family, and the Underground, at heart. He's easily corruptible, that's why he's trying so hard to stay on this newly found path."

"He's a kind brother," Asriel noticed Shamir's behavior, "I wish I could give him a hug, he clearly deserves it, for all the bad time he's been through."

"Hate to admit it, but I'd do that too." Chara huffed, although he wasn't too open about his own feelings.

"I still have to warn him about the danger Error represents, in some way or another. Even if he figures it out at a later time, the knowledge will be enough for him to find a way back, should the timeline fall under the dark, glitch-like skeleton's attack." Gaster said, holding a hand to his chin, deep in thoughts.

"But if our timeline gets erased, how can it be brought back?!" Asriel yanked on his ears, a little panicked. "He's but one monster! He can't do everything—"

"Prince Asriel," the scientist gazed at him with the softest of looks he could muster, "Ink has imparted with me knowledge I will be sure to give to your brother. But first, he has to be clear of every doubt within before he could truly rise to the task."

"And…?" Chara said, noticing the skeleton was withholding something.

"And that will only be done if he ends up in a positive timeline — there are chances he could end up in the Classic timeline, or the Alpha timeline. The Alpha timeline is a little basic as it is, but is full of monsters willing to defy fate — and Dream is the one that guards over it."

"Dream? Dream who?" Asriel asked, curious of this new knowledge.

"Dream!Frisk, one of the few humans who evolved to this stage of Multiverse Guardian. He will be able to watch over Shamir, hopefully."

 **(At night, in the Altershift universe…)**

It seemed like he was the only one able to see all this, and everyone treated this like it was just some nightmares. He wasn't able to see things in the future or anything, he was just a simple jaguar monster, able to wield fire, wind and electricity, and afraid of how to use all this power. _"But why?"_ the jaguar wondered as he stood with his eyes were gazing at the ceiling, and listened to Catty's soft purring as she held him tight. _"I'm tired of these nightmares that make no sense at all…"_

The dreamscape, however, wasn't going to let him rest this night either, as if someone enjoyed torturing him to the sight of horrible things — but in truth, Gaster wasn't willing to use the Void's powers to do such things — and yet, those horrible things were somehow crucial, yet he didn't understand them, or knew what it meant.

 **(Music: [UNDERTALE] Error!Sans Megalovania[Beethovenus])**

" **wHaT iS tHaT, aNoThEr gLiTcH?** " a strange voice called out to him out of the darkness, making Shamir stand at the ready, summoning his Dual Firesabers. If anything, he wasn't going to let the enemy, whoever that was, take him over so easily, until the voice repeated itself. " **wHeRe tHe heLL aRe yOu? sHoW yOuR—yOu—yOuRseLf!** "

"Whoever you are, whatever you are," Shamir growled threateningly, "I want to see your face before I crush you to dusty pieces!"

" **iF tHaT's yOuR wIsH, hErE i aM!** " the voice said, as light blinded them both for a few moments, the jaguar still keeping an aggressive stance as he noticed a skeleton before him…but he felt quite strange in appearance.

The word ERROR was surrounding his body all over, and his eyes were flashing sometimes yellow, sometimes red. He wore a black jacket that covered a red shirt, and had a very, very sinister smile, as if he were on the border of insanity, not caring about anything in the world. _"I feel threatened. Afraid, even,"_ Shamir thought as he tightened his grasp on the Firesabers and gritted his teeth, his eyes again mixing the colors red and blue. _"But if there's one thing I learned from all of my lessons, is that only overcoming my fears I can hope to be better, only putting the fight when it's absolutely necessary I can hope to become stronger, and that the fight should have a greater goal than just pure feeding of one's pride."_

"Who are you, now that I've gotten a better look at your face?" the white-robed feline hissed.

 **"hAhA, cUriOuS tHat yOu aSk mE tHiS, wHeN yOu sHoULd bE rUnNiNg fOr yOuR LiFe!"** the skeleton before him laughed maniacally. **"i aM eRrOr sAnS, dEsTrOyEr oF aU's. yOu pRoBaBLy doN't kNoW wHaT i mEaN bY tHat, rIgHt?"**

"No, I don't," Shamir replied on a neutral tone. "So, tell me, why do I get these very, very _unfriendly_ vibes out of you? 'Cause you're definitely not like my Sans."

 **"i'll give you the courtesy of le-lea-leaving m-m-my a-all time glitch-y-y voice."** Error!Sans shrugged, **"s-so-o you can u-un-understand me better. i-i h-have to destr-oy-oy all glitches. y-yo-u are one o-of th-them!"**

"I'm definitely not a _glitch_ , whatever that is." the jaguar squinted his eyes. "I'm the Captain of the Royal Guard, alongside my daughter, Undyne, so you'd better reconsider your choice of words."

 **"y-y-ou think y-y-your threats s-ss-scare me? y-ou are p-p-owerless-s-s before m-me, way l-low it i-isn't funny!"** the darkened skeleton said, **"a-and th-that's wh-wh-why des-s-troying you will-ll be ea-a-sy!"**

It was Shamir's turn to see that Error was enough of a prideful asshole as he was, but this skeleton was borderline resembling Ratoveros, in his misguided pride. "Wow, you think you're extremely strong, don't you? You also think your threats scare me," the jaguar said as he raised his Firesabers, ready to take Error head-on. "At first, these would have a lot of effect on me. And now, you'd be surprised to know I'm willing to cross hell with you, if it means keeping them all safe!"

 **"yOu'LL eAt yOuR wOrDs fOr diNnEr!"** Error smiled menacingly, as blue threads were coming to overwhelm Shamir from every direction

It was then the jaguar awoke, but this time, he felt a surge of Determination running through his body, and got out of bed. If anything, this surge of Determination was calling out to him to fight, and he couldn't withstand it right now — so when he showed up at Gerson's shop, startling the old warrior, it was obvious in his gaze that something happened, and he was willing to tell the old turtle.

"Woah there, young'in. You're telling me you're filled with Determination?" Gerson asked, noticing the jaguar was fiercely fighting against the training earth fighters the old warrior summoned, trying to make each wave more dangerous than the other.

"Y-yes," the jaguar said, between labored panting, "And it won't go away until I fight till complete exhaustion."

 _"That's strange, no other monster_ — _except Undyne_ — _has this much natural Determination. Perhaps there is something more that fuels the young Dreemurr to fight like this,"_ the turtle was thinking as he summoned a new wave of earth fighters.

"We'll stay up the rest of the night until this Determination of yours recedes for now." the old turtle nodded.

 **(The Void)**

"Great, now he's full of Determination," Chara laughed. "It's impressive that he can call out THAT much Determination. But still, he's also quite stressed by the fact he was unprepared for the vision."

"I'm hoping that he will be able to fight Error one day, if that will happen," Gaster said, folding his arms. "But even if he can't fight him back, Shamir Dreemurr will find another way to make things right."

"For the moment, Doctor, looks like our future is uncertain…" Asriel piped in, "But should it really become brighter than it was, I am looking forward to everything."

"So do I, Azzy," Chara said.

 _"So do I."_

* * *

 **A/N: My God, I made eight thousand words?! Wow, Determination was strong with me.  
Well, this concludes — for real, this time —** **the story of Altershift as a whole.  
I trust that you enjoyed them!**


End file.
